In Pictures

Pictures: Tunisia’s uprising

Rioting sparked by suicide attempt quickly spread in north African nation, culminating in its president’s hasty exit.

Tunisia(***)s president of 23 years, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, fled to Saudi Arabia on Friday as authorities declared a state of emergency following deadly protests nationwide [AFP]

The prime minister, Mohammed Ghannouchi, left, briefly became the interim president. He cited chapter 56 of the constitution as the article by which he was assuming power [AFP]

Protesters were reported to be ransacking government buildings in the capital, Tunis, and other cities amid unrest in several provinces [AFP]

The uprising began on December 17 in the town of Sidi Bouzid, where a 26-year-old university graduate set himself on fire in desperation over the country(***)s high unemployment rate. Anti-government protests erupted soon afterwards [AFP]

Mohamed Bouazizi suffered third-degree burns across his body. Days later, Ben Ali paid a visit to him in hospital, but Bouazizi would ultimate die of his injuries [AFP]

Demonstrations over poor living conditions turned violent, with protesters setting tyres on fire and hurling home-made bombs at buildings [EPA]

Matters came to a head in Tunis when police tear-gassed protesters gathered outside the interior ministry building. Witnesses said police used batons to disperse the crowd, but the protesters insisted they would not leave until Ben Ali stepped down [AFP]

Police defended their acts, saying they were done in (***)self-defence(***) [AFP]

Labour union drove many demonstrations, such as this one in Tunis [AFP]

Lawyers also joined; around 300 marched in solidarity with protesters near the presidential palace in Tunis [EPA]

Many lawyers were arrested. One took his shirt off to show that he had been tortured by police while detained [AFP]

Many prominent lawyers alleged widespread corruption in the government and accused it of severely suppressing freedom of speech [AFP]

Tunisia is a relatively prosperous Arab country with a large educated middle class [AFP]

During the daily protests, police quickly earned a reputation for deadly violence [Reuters]

Muammar Gaddafi, the longtime Libyan leader, bemoaned Ben Ali(***)s departure on Libyan TV, saying that neighbouring Tunisia is suffering bloodshed and lawlessness because its people were in too much of a rush to get rid of their president [Reuters]

Protesters continued to march even after Ghannouchi announced a "unity government" on January 17. The new cabinet included three opposition members but many key players from Ben Ali(***)s government [AFP]

Protesters chanted, "We can live on bread and water alone but not with the RCD" - Ben Ali(***)s ruling party [AFP]

Fouad Mbazaa and Mohamed Ghannouchi, Tunisia(***)s president and prime minister, resigned from Ben Ali(***)s RCD party on January 18 in an effort to appease the opposition. Four opposition members had resigned earlier in the day [AFP]

Thousands of Tunisian police, national guard and firemen joined anti-government demonstrations, distancing themselves from the RCD [Reuters]

Thousands of protesters push past barricades and into a compound of government buildings in Tunis. They say they wil not leave until the interim government is dissolved [Reuters]

A girl lights a candle during a nighttime vigil for those killed during the recent unrest in Tunisia [Retuers]

In defiance of a curfew and state of emergency, protesters travelled through the night in a ragtag line of cars, trucks and motorcycles from towns across the rocky regions of Tunisia to the capital city of Tunis [AFP]