Protests erupt in Tunisia after journalist sets himself on fire

A street vendor in 2010 set off the Arab Spring after setting himself on fire

Clashes between police and protesters erupted in Tunisia after a journalist set himself on fire and died on Monday, CNN reported.

Journalist Abderrazek Zorgui posted a video of setting himself ablaze on social media, saying it was an expression of the hardships he and his family experienced. The video has since been removed.

A union of journalists have taken the government to task over Zorgui's last words- reinstating that he took his life, "due to harsh social circumstances and a lack of hope".

According to the state news agency TAP, police fired tear gas to quell dozens of protestors in the city of Kasserine but they could not be restrained.

Although authorities announced they are launching an investigation, people are unsatisfied and continue to clamour. 22 protestors have been arrested.

The protests are a stark reminder of Mohammed Bouazizi's self-immolation. Bouazizi was a street vendor who set himself on fire in the Tunisian capital in 2010, an incident that became the stimulus for the Arab Spring in the Middle East and North Africa.

This article originally appeared on CNN.