This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011 and Algeria Protests 2011. Protests in Algeria and Tunisia have captured the interest of bloggers in both countries. Social media seem to be playing a central role in the coverage of the unfolding events in a context of heavy censorship and strict restrictions imposed on traditional media (mostly state-run) and on the Internet. Here is an overview of what has been said in the local blogosphere in the last couple of days. In Tunisia As soon as news emerged about troops using live ammunition and firing at unarmed protesters, netizens started actively seeking information on the number of the dead. The conversation on Twitter and social networks was absorbed by conflicting figures about the number of the victims. Unsurprisingly, the Tunisian state-run TV7 didn't seem to be concerned about the unfolding drama as Nawaat (@nawaat), the independent news website, writes: La chaine nationale TV7 diffuse un concert de musique alors que la police tire à balles réelles sur les manifestants #sidibouzid The Moorish Wanderer (@MoorishWanderer) from Morocco, voices his concern. He tweets: Worrying if #ZABA (Zine El Abidine Ben Ali) calls in the military. Any cases of mutiny in Army/Police? Cos otherwise, it's going to be a bloodbath #Sidibouzid Nasser (@Weddady) from Mauritania has been following the events very closely. Citing news agencies and fellow tweeters on the ground he publishes the first names of the victims to emerge from the region of Kasserine where troops are believed to have been massively deployed: Names of some killed tonight by #Tunisia regime: Marwane Jamli, Mohamed Oumari, Ahmed Boulabi Nouri Boulabi Abdelkader Boulabi #Sidibouzid One blogger, Lina Ben Mhenni, visits the town of Regueb in the Sidi Bouzid Governorate where the riots started four weeks ago, when a young university graduate, Mohamed Bouazizi, self-immolated in an act of desperation, after the police confiscated the stall he was using to sell fruits and vegetables. She describes what she saw: Tonight , I went to Regueb after hearing about clashes between demonstrators and the police and the death of several people killed shot by the police. Today 5 people were killed : Manel Boallagui (26) and mother of two children , Raouf Kaddoussi (26) , Mohamed Jabli Ben Ali (19), Moadh Ben Amor Khlifi (20), Nizar Ben Ibrahim ( 22) . I can't write the details now!; I ‘ll do it later. I ‘ll let the pictures explain everything. Lina posts a picture of one of the victims: Nizar Ben Ibrahim Slimi, 22, killed during Sunday Khanouff, whose blog is censored in Tunisia, deplores the lack of response from western governments [Fr] despite mounting victim figures: [L]a comptabilité macabre continue, alors et si les chancelleries occidentales nous disent leur prix, nous renseignent sur le nombre de morts à atteindre pour lâcher leur protégé! Combien de morts pousseront-ils le Quai d’Orsay, et autres manipulateurs de marionnettes corrompus à agir? Dites nous svp combien de litres de sang vous faudra t-il ! Combien ! Combien de morts il vous faudrait messieurs les donneurs de leçons ? fléna bent flén is a Tunisian blogger. She reflects on the events unfolding in her country and writes this short poem [Fr] (excerpt): Je ne suis pas d’humeur à écrire Mais je n’arrive pas à dormir L’effet de la caféine ? Pire… Je ne suis pas d’humeur à faire la rime Mais c’est mieux que de faire le mime Dénoncer un crime Un parmi d’autre dans cet abîme.. Je ne suis pas d’humeur à pleurer Mais je ne peu m’en empêcher, On se fait encore tué.. I'm in no mood to make rhymes But it's better than doing the mimes I want to report a crime One more in these troubled times .. I'm in no mood to cry But I just can't help They want us killed .. They want us to die The national flag as well as the anthem have proved to be effective rallying symbols for protesters. Bloggers have also been using the flag to make their points heard. In a show of mourning and solidarity with the victims and their families, blogger bokOussama suggests the adoption on the blogosphere of a symbolic new flag [Fr]. He writes: La couleur rouge, rouge comme le sang des martyrs qui a coulé hier à Gassrine et autres régions tunisiennes, ne reviendra point à ce drapeau que lorsque dignité et liberté ne soient rendus au Pays qui le représente. Picture from vie d'ingénieur…vie de chien blog Blogger Adel also refers to the national flag [Fr]. He writes: Le drapeau de mon pays, rouge comme le sang de ceux qui ont reçu des balles dans le dos à Sidi Bouzid, rouge comme le sang des dizaines de jeunes qui sont tombés sous les balles à Kasserine, rouge comme le sang qui s’est mélangé au feu de ceux qui se sont fait immolé.