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Naomi Farmer

The rise and fall of the Arab spring

Marxism 2025

The 2011 uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa started in Tunisia and spread across the region as far east as Bahrain on the Arabian Gulf. They shook and overthrew decades-long repressive monarchies and presidencies and opened up the possibility of social transformation. Yet, within a couple of years, the uprisings had been snuffed out as a result of both repression and their political weaknesses. What lessons can we learn from these uprisings and their defeat? All are welcome to reflect on and analyse these momentous events. Recommended Reading: Ten years since the great Arab revolutions by Omar Hassan in Red Flag Marxism and the Arab revolutions by Sandra Bloodworth in Marxist Left Review