DAEJEON, South Korea—Tunisian expatriates living in South Korea gathered on Saturday to celebrate their country’s 55th Independence day and the Jasmine Revolution, which recently liberated the North African country.
Tunisians from all over South Korea gathered in the central city of Daejeon to celebrate the Tunisian national holiday as well as the recent democratic uprising in their home country. The small crowd danced ecstatically to traditional music performed by a Tunisian folk band. A handful of Korean passersby got caught up in the shared joy of the group and joined in.
The protests and civil disobedience now dubbed the Jasmine Revolution began in December 2010. By January 14th, the dictator President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali had stepped down and fled to Saudi Arabia after 23 years in power.
Participants expressed excitement and pride that their country was the first in the wave of democratic revolutions that is sweeping across the Arab world this year.
“We are happy and we are proud of the revolution,” said post-graduate student Soad Ayadi with a broad smile. “As you know, the Jasmine Revolution started in our country, then in Libya and in Syria and Bahrain. So we Tunisians, we are proud that we started to give up the dictatorship.”
Tunisians from all over South Korea gathered in the central city of Daejeon to celebrate the Tunisian national holiday as well as the recent democratic uprising in their home country. The small crowd danced ecstatically to traditional music performed by a Tunisian folk band. A handful of Korean passersby got caught up in the shared joy of the group and joined in.
The protests and civil disobedience now dubbed the Jasmine Revolution began in December 2010. By January 14th, the dictator President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali had stepped down and fled to Saudi Arabia after 23 years in power.
Participants expressed excitement and pride that their country was the first in the wave of democratic revolutions that is sweeping across the Arab world this year.
“We are happy and we are proud of the revolution,” said post-graduate student Soad Ayadi with a broad smile. “As you know, the Jasmine Revolution started in our country, then in Libya and in Syria and Bahrain. So we Tunisians, we are proud that we started to give up the dictatorship.”
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