Tunisians Embrace Life Without Censorship

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    Date: 
    24 January 2011

    During Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's 23-year rule, the press in Tunisia was censored. That changed literally overnight last Friday when he and his wife fled the country, ending his dictatorship.

    A week ago, as tens of thousands of people protested in the streets of downtown Tunis demanding that Ben Ali leave, the country's national television played Islamic chants while showing verses of the Quran.

    That surprised no one, says 22-year-old student Mehdi Hachani.

    "Young people are angry when they watch Tunisian TV," he says. "They don't see what they are seeing in the street."

    Hachani says Tunisians watched French and Arabic cable stations to get their news.