Over 1 Million in Tahrir Square demanding the removal of the regime and for Mubarak to step down. February 9, 2011. (Photo: Jonathan Rashad/Wikimedia)
December 17 marked ten years since Mohammed Bouazizi, a street vendor in Tunis, set himself on fire in an act of defiance and desperation that triggered what would become known as the Arab Spring.
Over the course of the last ten years, we have witnessed revolutions sweep the Middle East and North Africa, but we have also witnessed the sheer might and terror of counter-revolutionary forces aided and abetted by imperial powers like the US and Russia, who have everything to gain from ensuring the Arab world remains a minefield for exploitation and military endeavors. Looking back at 2010, we asked activists and organizers what lessons we must draw for our current moment–a period of ongoing instability racked by a global pandemic, worsening austerity measures the world over, and an increasingly polarized political order. What must we not forget? Here are some of the responses.