The selections she read called for social justice and equal rights for Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims. Following the recitation of her poem during a protest at Pearl Square, Alqormozi was expelled from university and imprisoned. Soon after, she became a symbol of peaceful defiance against the al-Khalifa regime. She was indicted for “insulting the King and encouraging hatred of the ruling regime” and sentenced to a year in jail. However, following public outcry, Alqormozi was released the next month and placed under house arrest. While in prison, she was forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement but went on to make public statements about torture immediately after her release. Alqormozi received the Student Peace Prize in 2015.