TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Hundreds of protesters stormed the seat of the local government in the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid on Friday where the revolution first erupted that went on to spawn the Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East.

Civil servants fled the mob, which eventually was dispersed by police firing tear gas and warning shots into the air. The crowd was also calling for the release of dozens arrested in earlier demonstrations. The incident came as a joint U.N.-African commission presented its report after a weeklong mission warning of the serious challenges faced by the country, which started the region-wide pro-democracy uprisings.