What was the Arab Spring?

The Arab Spring was a wave of pro-democracy protests and uprisings that spread across the Arab world starting in late 2010.

It began in Tunisia, after a street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself on fire in protest against police harassment. Protests forced Tunisia’s president out, then spread to Egypt, where Hosni Mubarak was overthrown, and to Libya, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain and others.

Outcomes varied widely. Tunisia moved towards democracy for a time; Egypt returned to military-led rule; Libya and Yemen fell into civil war; and Syria descended into a devastating civil war. Many saw it as a moment of hope followed by deep disappointment.