General Rachid Ammar, chief of the army general staff, (who refused the order from President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to shoot protesters) gives a speech to a crowd at an anti-government demonstration just days after mass protests forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee into exile following 23 years of tyranical rule. However, after he was deposed tensions remained high and when Prime Minister Ghannouchi formed a government of national unity protests continued as the people demanded a clean break with the past.