The Arab Spring was a wave of demonstrations and protests that began in December 2010 in Tunisia and spread throughout much of the Arab world. Rulers were ousted in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, while uprisings erupted in Bahrain and Syria. Related protests occurred in many other Arab countries. Conflicts in Libya and Mali were exacerbated by weapons and fighters returning from the Libyan civil war. Protests shared techniques of civil resistance like strikes and demonstrations, and social media was effectively used to organize and raise awareness despite internet censorship by some local governments.