Thousands of Tunisians joined the largest protest against President Kais Saied in years on Saturday, accusing him of undermining democracy and mishandling the economy. The demonstration, led by the UGTT labour union and civil society groups, came as Tunisia grapples with an economic crisis, worsening public services, recurring water and power cuts, and shortages of medicines and essential goods.
Opposition parties from across the political spectrum joined lawyers, doctors, journalists and unemployed people in marching along Habib Bourguiba Avenue in the capital, a focal point of the 2011 protests. Hundreds of police were deployed. Protesters chanted “No fear, power belongs to the people” and “Prisons are full, people are hungry,” and called for the release of Saied’s critics and an end to what they described as attacks on trade union rights.
Saied dissolved parliament in 2021, dismissed dozens of judges and began ruling by decree, moves opponents described as a coup. He rejects the allegations, says he is not a dictator, and has accused his opponents of engineering economic crises to fuel social unrest.