Ricardo Nuno/Demotix. All rights reserved.
A revolutionary moment?
Of course the countries of the Arab Spring—among numerous others—have a rich history of struggle. For decades if not centuries, they have fought in civil wars, uprisings, and revolutions with varying degrees of success for their freedoms and rights against despotic, unjust rulers and governments, both local and international.
It’s also true that this awakening did not arise out of a vacuum. It was built on the continuous hard (and mostly dangerous) efforts of workers and activists of various political stripes, tirelessly calling for justice; take the build-up in Egypt, for example, which had been happening since at least 2006. The Arab Spring also echoed movements across the rest of the world against neoliberal injustices, such as the Occupy movement.
