Once Upon Last December...

Lately I've had a few people ask me about current anti-government protests around the world, and specifically how the entire chain reaction started. I hope we've all realized by now that -in simple terms- citizens are not happy with their government and the way that their country is being run, so they're protesting. Not many people know of (one of) the large incidents that lead to the initial protest in Tunisia, so I've got a story for you:
Once upon last december, there was this young man in his twenties living in Tunisia with his mother and his several siblings. His father isn't in the picture, whether he died or abandoned them is not known, regardless of the case this eldest son became the primary care giver and only income of nine people. So, this man grows vegetables and fruit, and each week he puts them all in a wheel barrow and brings them to the market to sell, he doesn't make very much at all, not nearly enough for himself and his family, but they are surviving. Barely.  Anyhow, he's going to the market this one day in December and a police officer stops him and asks to see his permit which he claims is necessary to sell produce. The man is not aware of this and appologizes, so the officer spits on him and takes his only source of income -his wheel barrow of food- The man goes home, scrambles up as much money as he possibly can -most likely his household's entire savings- and goes down to the police station to buy a permit and to reclaim his produce. But at the station they refuse to give him back his fruit or vegetables, nor will they sell him a permit (although they do take the money) The police officers taunt him, push him, and tease him.
This was when all of his seemingly useless hard work and all the conditions he endured became desparation.
The man then went to a field.
And lit himself on fire.
  
It is estimated that 2000 people have died in Algerian protests. Including four other people who made camp-fires out of themselves. Conditions do not seem to be improving this far, but the Canadain government has just recently donated $5 million for humanitarian aid -for Algeria specifically-
-em