Little Arabia - Reaction To The "Arab Spring"

Reaction To The "Arab Spring"

In 2011, Little Arabia became the center of Arab-American activities supporting the wave of Arab revolutions known as the "Arab Spring". On February 4 a demonstration in support of the Egyptian revolution took place on Brookhurst Street followed by a celebration on February 11 after Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was ousted and another one on February 12. A series of pro democracy protests in support of the Syrian revolution were also held. On October 20, local Libyan-Americans greeted the death of Moammar Gaddafi with joy.

During the Hosni Mubarak trial, local restaurants, including Nara Bistro and Nubia Cafe, were packed with people glued to TV screens watching live coverage of the trial until 5 am.

In August 2011, a restaurant named "Medan el-Tahrir" or "Tahrir Square" opened on Magnolia Ave. The restaurant hosted an event for the Syrian American Council, an organization opposed to Bashar al-Assad's rule, on August 13. The event featured a representative of the Syrian Local Coordinating Committee addressing the attendees via Skype, as well as Ausama Monajed, editor of the "Syrian Revolution News Round-up."