Middle East, North Africa Anti-Government Protests Continue To Spread (PHOTOS)

Inspired by popular revolts that ousted much-maligned rulers in Tunisia and Egypt, a series of anti-government protests are continuing to gain pace across the Middle East and North Africa.

As Reuters is reporting, clashes erupted in Libya -- a nation sandwiched between Egypt and Tunisia -- while fresh demonstrations also noted in Bahrain, Yemen and Iran on Wednesday.

Only time will tell if the so-called "Egypt domino effect" could effectively sweep more leaders from power in these regions. Drawing lessons from events in Tunisia and Egypt, some rulers have already announced political changes and moved to cut prices on food and supplies, as well as raise spending on job creation in efforts to thwart the spreading unrest before it gets out of hand.

View photos of the ongoing protests here:

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Algeria

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Algerian protesters holding their national flag chant slogans including "NO to the police state" and "Bouteflika out," a reference to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika during a demonstration in Algiers.

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Algerian protesters holding their national flag chant slogans including "NO to the police state" and "Bouteflika out," a reference to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika during a demonstration in Algiers.

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Comments

[logicallylogical]

07:59 PM on 02/19/2011

I hate to admit it, but it seems like Beck wasn't too far off, the protests are spreading

[mick621]

03:15 PM on 02/19/2011

not that hard to see how Gadhafi still hasn't managed to get himself promoted to general

[Friendly]

10:09 AM on 02/19/2011

Other people in other countries must join this protests. It is not about Arabs. We must get rid of every dictator.The economy is not doing well and we can not continue wasting our money on these useless, ruthless and classless Tyrannosauruses.

[gazpacho]

06:23 AM on 02/19/2011

Myth about US support for Democracy: The idea that Whig, Democrat-Republican, GOP or Democratic administrations have ever really (or consistently) supported rule-of-law democracy outside of the US is sick. All US administrations since 1780 have only been interested in what is in the best (strategic) MONETARY interest of the 'average' 'acceptably notable' US citizen of the moment. When given the opportunity to take sides the US has sided with un-democratic police states over the 'people' approximately 83% of the time since 1780. The US has militarily overthrown (mostly clandestinely after WW2) democratic governments or aspirations and guaranteed brutal regimes (including a few genocidal ones). We have even been involved in 'stealing' (or attempting to steal) elections through non-violent subterfuge in allied democracies (e.g. Japan, Italy, Greece, Venezuela) and incredibly, no this is not conspiracy theory, Canada and Australia, all to name a few). I support US military, monetary or diplomatic support in overthrowing ALL brutal regimes (in theory, i.e. when possible) and I don't pick and choose for 'stability' reasons. Guess what: 'Stability' is the same excuse nations gave for not overthrowing Nazi Germany in 1935&36 when they had the 'legal' chance to realistically do so before Hitler had enough military power, why we supported Saddam Hussein until it became too 'embarrassing', and why we actively have helped round up at least 150,000 innocents worldwide since 1945 for execution (Indonesia being the worst). Note: My father was spy in OSS & CIA (hint).

[TYRANNASAURUS]

11:46 PM on 02/18/2011

Middle East, North Africa Anti-Government Protests Continue To Spread....

These poor people have been used and abused for years.....by the Shiite if you're Sunni and by the Sunni if you're Shi'ite.....and all over who has the authority to interpret the Koran.

[aws7777]

04:17 AM on 02/18/2011

anyone notice the difference now that aol has a hand on here-is it me-just doesn't seem the same-time to move on I guess

[Marchmont]

02:31 AM on 02/18/2011

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, rejoiced at the fall of Egypt’s Mubarak claiming it was the same “Islamic awakening” which overthrew the Shah. Sadly the chickens came home to roost with surprising speed and suddenly the clerics of the Middle East’s rogue states appear to have lost their appetite for mass protests. When crowds of demonstrators and chants of “Death to the Dictator” appeared on the streets of Iran, the order went out that media coverage of unrest elsewhere must stop. Government MPs are calling for the execution of the protesters’ leaders including the former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi - so much for freedom of speech! Regime change has been limited to states friendly to the West but that could change and even the Great Survivor, Libya’s Gaddafi, is facing huge protests in his eastern cities.

[whyus]

01:18 AM on 02/18/2011

"The world's in an uproar, the danger zone is everywhere"..........lyrics from an old 40 yrs. ago Ray Charles tune.

[cliffhammond]

12:48 AM on 02/18/2011

And whoooooo would imagine that they would freak out in Wisconsin?
Winny, winny conson
Winny conson
Well I'm telling you my dear
That it can't happen here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIUojvT5yTo

[wwoody]

10:38 PM on 02/17/2011

Genie is out the bottle now .... it's never going back. Calls for freedom is grow rapidly through out the Middle East.

[elenanatx]

11:55 PM on 02/17/2011

Yes, they will become free and progress, while in America the Republicans send us back to the great depression.

[Chloe33]

03:35 AM on 02/18/2011

You're free to move to Yemen.

[wwoody]

03:59 AM on 02/18/2011

Run the other way whenever a Republican say, bring back the good old days...... fan and favorite to you,

[Magic 62]

08:43 PM on 02/17/2011

I think, we are seeing the start of a sectarian war in Bahrain.

[sold2aol]

05:19 PM on 02/17/2011

Let me say something to the neo-cons who are yapping about this being the result of their stupid ideology and its embodiment of Cheney/ W. None of the countries in revolt are seeking to be like Iraq or Afghanistan are in their present form.

[wwoody]

08:16 PM on 02/17/2011

Very well said.

[Florence Baumgartner]

02:30 PM on 02/17/2011

report on Libya here,

http://wlcentral.org/

[tacevad]

01:13 PM on 02/17/2011

It looks as if some despots have reached their Marie Antonette moments

[wwoody]

08:15 PM on 02/17/2011

Oh, let them eat cake.