The demonstrations were caused by high unemployment , food inflation , corruption , a lack of political freedoms like freedom of speech and poor living conditions . The protests constituted the most dramatic wave of social and political unrest in Tunisia in three decades and resulted in scores of deaths and injuries , most of which were the result of action by police and security forces against demonstrators . The protests were sparked by the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi on 17 December 2010 and led to the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali 28 days later on 14 January 2011 , when he officially resigned after fleeing to Saudi Arabia , ending 23 years in power . Labour unions were said to be an integral part of the protests . The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was awarded the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for " its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Tunisian Revolution of 2011 " . The protests inspired similar actions throughout the Arab world
2015 Nobel Peace Prize
2015 Nobel Peace Prize
Socialism in Tunisia