The correct answer is the last one: The protests began with citizens calling for democratic reforms, but as protests spread, Islamic fundamentalists began demanding that Sharia law be established.
The Arab Spring started in Tunisia, when Muhammad Bouazizi, a young street vendor committed self-immolation as a form of protest against the confiscation of his wares and the oppression of the regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. This sparked anger in his country, which led to a series of protests that concluded in the overthrown of the dictatorial regime and the subsequent establishment of a democracy in the country. The Tunisian revolution inspired people in many other Arab countries with similar political systems to do the same and reclaim a democratic transformation.
The wave of the Arab Spring went through Lybia, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, and Bahrein among others, but it didn't end up so well in most of these countries. In fact, the uprising against dictatorial but secular governments paved the way for extremist Islamist groups on the prowl.
In Syria, Islamist groups that were fighting in Iraq took advantage of the attempt of Syrian protesters to overthrow the regime of Al Assad in order to extend their dominion and establish an Islamist Caliphate ruled by the Sharia law. The Syrian civil war was the result of this and many terrorist groups united to form the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a terrorist organization that committed several atrocities across these countries.
In Egypt, after the fall of Mubarak's regime, there were democratic elections where the Muslim Brothers won, threatening with an Islamist turn in the State and the application of the Sharia law. To avoid this the army carried out a <em>coup d'etat </em>establishing a military dictatorship.
