When there is Nothing Left to Burn You Must Set Yourself on Fire (Tunisia and Egypt)

The protests that led to Ben Ali’s overthrow gained momentum last month after unemployed university graduate Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire. He died earlier this month. Copycat self-immolations have followed in at least four other North African states. In Egypt, 52-year-old lawyer Mohamed Farouk Hassan became the latest Egyptian protester to set himself on fire following two others. A large crowd gathered in support of Hassan outside the hospital.

Protester: "Everyone that holds a high-ranking position does nothing. They do not feel for all the starving, homeless people. These people are homeless, living in the streets. People can’t find food. People can’t find the resources they need. These people are sitting on their chairs doing nothing. Those parliamentary members feel for nobody."