In December 2010, anti-government protests erupted in the small Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid, soon spreading across the country, and eventually triggering similar demonstrations in neighbouring countries. By February 2011, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Syria were engulfed in uprisings of their own, with their autocratic governments under growing pressure.
Ten years on, what the Arab Spring started has toppled governments and led to wars. But in those first months in the heart of the protests, there was hope, anger and revolution. These are some of the stories Al Jazeera filmmakers documented on the front lines of change.
Images of Revolution
“Images are like weapons. They can help topple a regime,” says Ali al-Bouazizi, a political analyst. In many ways, the Arab uprisings in 2011 were proof of that. Ordinary people used their mobile phones to capture photos and video that they shared on social media. And these images inspired revolutionaries in other countries, who also ro