FOTOS – Projeto Verdadeiro Desafio mostra passagens da história da Tunisia desde a revolução até as eleições democráticas para presidente. Em parceria com Planet Art Exchange e Anistia Internacional. [ Presença de Lotfi Kaabi ativista tunisiano]

True Defiance: Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution in pictures

As 2011 began in Tunisia, few people predicted quite how extraordinary the chain of events was about to unfold. On 14 January, after 23 years in power, the until then, seemingly unassailable President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ignominiously toppled by a peaceful unarmed army of Tunisians who quite simply had had enough of his corrupt and repressive rule. After a month of protests, the President and his family slipped away, allegedly taking with them large amounts of the country’s wealth. They found suitable refuge, beyond the reach of Tunisian justice, in Saudi Arabia. Around 300 Tunisians paid with their lives for ousting him, most shot dead by the security forces using live ammunition.1 The repercussions of that momentous day of 14 January 2011, when the youthful banners correctly proclaimed “Game Over”, are still resonating across the Middle East and North Africa, and beyond

The Tunisian uprising ushered in a new type of people’s movement, one led not by religious, Arab nationalist, communist or any other fixed ideology. Overwhelmingly, the Tunisians who stood up to the guns to insist on change were demanding jobs, equality, and the right to choose their government and to enjoy freedom of expression. They asked for these rights using largely peaceful means, yet they were met with brutality. As elsewhere in the region, the predominantly youthful population, who felt they had little to lose, swept aside their fears and fought for their rights. Their cry for “human dignity” was soon resounding in the streets of Egypt.

In this exhibition, five activist photographers capture the essence of Tunisia’s ‘Jasmine Revolution’: 28 historic days of peaceful civil resistance sparked by Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation. As well as capturing images from Tunisia’s historic first elections since the fall of President Ben Ali.

The images from Augustin Le Gall, Nesrine Cheikh Ali, Ezequiel Scagnetti, Lilia El Golli, and Naim Gharsalli spread worldwide across social media platforms.

Curated by Dr Lotfi Kaabi, this exhibition is dedicated to the people who faced down fear to demand their human rights and freedoms.