The "Arab Spring" of revolutions and demonstrations across the Middle East began December 17, 2010 when street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi lit himself on fire in protest of political oppression. Since Bouazizi's self-immolation, two long-standing dictators, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunsia, and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt have been ousted, a civil war compelling international involvement has erupted in Libya, and brutal crackdowns continue across the increasingly volatile region.