The Second Arab Spring is a series of anti-government protests which took place in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Sudan, Syria and Tunisia, with several starting in late 2018. Economic protests also took place in the Gaza Strip.
The deadliest incident of civil unrest in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein resulted in its Prime Minister being replaced. Sustained civil disobedience in Sudan resulted in the overthrow of president Omar al-Bashir in a military coup d'état, the Khartoum massacre, and the transfer of power from a military junta to a combined military–civilian Sovereignty Council that is legally committed to a 39-month transition to democracy.
The alternative names "New Arab Spring" and "Arab Summer" refer as well to similarity with the preceding Arab Spring wave of pro-democracy protests which took place in 2010–2013. However, in this wave of protests "the similarities and differences suggest more an upgrading than a replay of the Arab Spring." The wider call for democracy and human rights was replaced by more day-to-day demands, on issues including excessive costs of living and high unemployment rates.
Context and background
Tesbih Habbal and Muzna Hasnawi, Syrian editors writing in The Nation in October 2019, argued that the 2018–2019 sustained street protests in the Arab world starting with Sudan in December 2018, Algeria in February 2019, Egypt and Iraq in September and October 2019, Syria and Lebanon in October 2019, constituted a second wave of the process that started with the 2010–2011 Arab Spring. Syrian protestors in October held signs stating, "Syria—Egypt—Iraq: You've revived the spirit of the Arab people, from the [Atlantic] Ocean to the [Persian] Gulf!" Habbal and Hansawi described the process as having "profoundly changed the political consciousness of the region", overcoming fear of political activity and "setting a crucial precedent for challenging the persistence of authoritarianism". Habbal and Hansawi argued that the October protests in Syria "[proved] that even ruthless repression and tyranny cannot deter the resistance."
Habbal and Hansawi argued that the new wave of protests frequently included usage of the slogan "Al-shab yurid isqat al- nizam!" (The people want the fall of the regime!) used during the 2010–2011 Arab Spring. The protests have often been described as being inherently "anti-systemic" to the entirety of the political establishment instead of opposition to a single policy, fueling this is large scale unemployment specifically youth unemployment. As well as frustration towards many Arab government policies, reliance on international aid for basic necessities, corruption and reliance of hydrocarbons (fossil fuels) has all led to discontent towards the often cronyistic system widely in use in Middle Eastern countries.
Timeline by country
Morocco
Multiple demonstrations occurred in Morocco during this period, mainly stemming from issues existing since the Arab Spring. These issues at their core, while exacerbated by the death of Mouhcine Fikri, are due to the lack of a suitable standard of living for the "lower middle class and the poorest segments of society" in Morocco. Massive projects have been undertaken to improve infrastructure and development in the country, including a high-speed train running from Casablanca to Tangier, but young and poor people, many of whom reside in rural areas in the countryside, are unable to benefit from such projects and feel that their needs are still being ignored. Many in particular still suffer from the poor quality of transportation within major cities like the bus system in Casablanca, and connecting smaller cities and towns within Morocco. Most poorer Moroccans lack basic access to food and water and 22% of the country is unemployed. These recent projects have highlighted economic disparity and inequality between social classes in Morocco, which were further exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19, and have generated more social unrest among the poor. One recent protest started in late 2017 and continued into 2018 over the lack of food and water. During this period, a stampede occurred in Sidi Boulaalam, a small village outside Essaouira, when supplies arrived to a marketplace, resulting in the trampling and deaths of at least 15 people. The situation is worse in the country's interior in places like Zagora, a small village in Drâa-Tafilalet, where for years people have been surviving off drinking imported bottled water.