On the morning of December 17, a female municipal inspector named Faida Hamdy accosted Bouazizi. An altercation erupted during which Hamdy the inspector seized Bouazizi's fruit-weighing scales. Locals and Bouazizi's relatives also say the inspector slapped Bouazizi, an allegation CNN could not independently confirm.

After the incident, the humiliated fruit vendor repeatedly tried and failed to get the attention of town officials. Then something snapped. He purchased fuel, doused himself with it, and lit a lethal flame outside the gates of the governorate building.

Almost immediately, protests erupted in Sidi Bouzid and then quickly spread to other cities and towns across the country. The poor fruit vendor became a symbol of the anger and frustrations of Tunisians fed up with corruption and the authoritarian rule of President Zine el Abedine Ben Ali, who had been in power for 23 years.
This cart is a symbol, it represents freedom. This overthrew the regime.
--Ridha Bouazizi, uncle of Mohammed

Under mounting pressure, Ben Ali visited the hospital bed of the young man from Sidi Bouzid. An eerie photo released by Ben Ali's press office dated December 28 showed the Tunisian leader standing next to Bouazizi. Only the young man's charred and blackened lips showed from underneath bandages which wrapped him from head to toe.

The public display of sympathy was too little, far too late. On January 4, after more than two agonizing weeks in hospital, Bouazizi died from his horrific injuries. Before another two weeks were out, Ben Ali would flee the country.

Bouazizi's self-immolation inspired copy-cat acts of protest in Mauritania, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt {but Nigeria refused to be inspired}. Meanwhile, Tunisia's startling revolution triggered unprecedented popular revolts that continue to ripple across the Arab world and beyond.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/03/22/tunisia.bouazizi.arab.unrest/index.html#

Injustice is part of every day life in Nigeria, the Nigerian police force even though they are our friend, do much more than what the Tunisian official did to the poor guy yet We are yet to see the first Nigerian to set himself on fire outside AREA 'G' police station.
Nigerians have one fruit of the spirit - LONG SUFFERING

A typical nigerian will ask who wan die? Abi didnt fella says it all "SUFFERING AND SMILING"