Protests’ Comeback in the Arab World: Economist

Recent protests in Algeria and Sudan have brought popular images of the so-called 2011 Arab Spring back to the fore – yet with a stark difference. As an article for the Economist observes, “The wars and chaos that followed the Arab spring have cooled the ardour of activists and their regional patrons …. [and] autocrats have sharpened their tools of repression in order to quash protests at home and stop those elsewhere from spreading.” Moreover, the Qatari news network Al Jazeera, which closely followed the 2011 events, framing them as a regional upheaval, has been more muted in its coverage. Instead, reporters and anchors have cast the protests as “isolated events on the periphery.” Social media continues to play an effective role in Algeria as a mobilizing force and as a global outlet on North African protests to the rest of the world. – YaleGlobal