Tunisians stage biggest protest in years against President Saied
Hundreds of police were deployed across the capital.
Tens of thousands of Tunisians participated in the largest anti-government demonstration in the country in recent years on Saturday, criticizing President Kais Saied for weakening democracy and mismanaging the economy. The protest, organized by the powerful UGTT labor union and various civil society groups, took place in Tunis and was supported by opposition parties from across the political spectrum.
The rally came amid a deep economic crisis, deteriorating public services, frequent blackouts, and shortages of medicine and basic necessities. President Saied's controversial moves in 2021 and 2022, including dissolving parliament, dismissing judges, and ruling by decree, have been widely condemned as a coup by the opposition. International rights organizations claim that Saied has intensified a campaign against civil society, journalists, and opposition leaders.
Saied denies these accusations, arguing that he is not a dictator and accusing his detractors of manipulating the economy to incite social unrest. The protest demonstrated a remarkable level of unity among a broad range of political groups, echoing the spirit of the 2011 demonstrations that sparked the Arab Spring. "We can no longer remain silent... the state cannot be built by concentrating all power in the hands of a single individual," stated Slah Eddine Salmi, the head of the UGTT.
As the demonstration unfolded, hundreds of police officers patrolled the streets of Tunis. Protesters chanted slogans such as "No fear, power belongs to the people!" and "The prisons are full, people are hungry!", reviving the rallying cry of the 2011 uprising: "The people want the fall of the regime!" The demonstrators called for the release of Saied's political opponents and demanded an end to what they described as assaults on trade union rights.
Among the demonstrators was Yassine Gharseli, a protester from the city of Sfax, who expressed frustration over the country's economic woes, stating, "I came from Sfax to stand up for my freedom and I’m not about to give up, even if I become the last voice in the country."
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