In 2011, Egypt, like many Arab countries, took part in what the media called the Arab Spring. Arab Spring “is a term for the revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests (both nonviolent and violent), uprisings and civil wars in the Arab world that began on December 18, 2010.” (Arab Spring) On December 17, 2010 in Tunisia, Mohammad Bouazizi, in protest against government corruption and poor economic opportunities, emulsified himself. He had been beaten and ignored after a confrontation with government officials, leaving him feeling he had no choice but to take such extreme measures. However, Bouazizi's protest would not be in vain and would lead to mass protests in Tunisia, followed by many other Arab countries facing similar political and economic situations to follow. Egypt was one of those countries that took note of Bouazizi's protests in Tunisia “on Tuesday 25 January, when – inspired by the victorious revolution in Tunisia – thousands of people began taking to the streets to protest against poverty, unemployment rampant, government corruption. and the autocratic government of President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled the country for thirty years. These were the first such large-scale protests seen in Egypt since the 1970s.” (Parks)Hosni Mubarak came to power in 1981 after the assassination of President Anwar El Sadat. When the Arab Spring began, Mubarak had been in power for thirty years. The Egyptian people were filled with unrest due to many of Mubarak's government policies and the bleak economic outlook many Egyptians were facing. According to an NPR report by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, “A growing number of them are fed up with living in what they see as a police state under its iron fist and… middle of paper… Middle East - Al Jazeera English." Al Jazeera English. Al Jazeera, 14 February 2011. Web. 9 November 2013. . "Timeline: What has happened since the Egyptian revolution?" PBS: Frontline. PBS, 17 September 2013. Web 10 November 2013. "What what caused the revolution in Egypt?". The Guardian Guardian Media Group, 17 February 2011. Web. 10 November 2013. .Zayan, Jailan. Google News: archived from the original AFP, 25 January 2011. Web. 2013. .