Thousands of Tunisians demonstrated in the capital, Tunis, on Saturday, to protest against the high cost of living and to demand the restoration of democracy and respect for freedoms, in a movement led by the Tunisian General Labor Union and civil society organizations, which Reuters described as “the largest against the rule of President Kais Saied in years.”
More than three thousand people participated in the demonstration, according to Agence France-Presse, amid heavy security deployment. The march brought together opposition parties from different political spectrums, as well as trade unionists, lawyers, doctors, journalists, the unemployed, and relatives of imprisoned opponents.
The protesters chanted the slogan “The people want to overthrow the regime,” which was linked to the 2011 uprising, demanding the release of imprisoned opponents and an end to what they described as infringement of union rights.
The protests come in light of economic difficulties, a decline in public services, and accusations from the opposition and human rights organizations that Saied is undermining freedoms and concentrating powers in his hands. The president rejects these accusations, says that he is not a dictator, and accuses his opponents of creating economic crises to fuel social unrest.
The demonstrators gathered in Mohammed Ali Square, the stronghold of the Tunisian General Labor Union, before they marched through the streets of the capital towards Habib Bourguiba Avenue, which was one of the most prominent sites of protests during the 2011 uprising.
The demonstration raised the slogan “Tunisia First... The People Above All Considerations,” and participants waved Tunisian flags, amid the deployment of hundreds of police officers and the closure of roads and entrances to cars and pedestrians.
In addition to the Labor Union, organizations including the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights, the National Union of Tunisian Journalists, the Tunisian Organization of Young Doctors, and the Deanship of Lawyers participated in calling for the protest.
Opposition parties from different political trends joined, including parties that had been united by rivalries for years, in a scene described by Reuters as a rare unity of ranks, after divisions that weakened the opposition’s ability to mobilize large numbers.
The participants' demands included respecting freedoms, the independence of the judiciary, stopping the prosecution of opponents, and protecting the right to trade unions. Demonstrators carried banners reading: “No democracy without freedoms,” “No dignity with poverty,” and “No to criminalizing civil and political work.”
Salah al-Din al-Salmi, Secretary-General of the Tunisian General Labor Union, said in a speech to the crowds: “Silence is no longer acceptable. Tunisia’s crisis today is essentially the monopolization of all powers by one person,” according to what was reported by Reuters.
Opposition Sihem Ben Sedrine, former head of the Truth and Dignity Commission, told AFP: “We demand respect for basic freedoms, and in particular the release of political prisoners.”
Demands for livelihood were strongly present at the demonstration, with slogans criticizing unemployment and poor public services, in addition to political and human rights demands.
Tunisians are facing a rise in prices and a decline in purchasing power, while the country is witnessing frequent water and electricity outages and shortages of medicines and some basic goods, according to Reuters.
Karim Al-Majri, a 32-year-old employee, told AFP that he feels "suffocated by injustice, oppression, and the high cost of living."
As for Maysaa Batikh, a 21-year-old dentistry student, she told the agency: “We have the right to live in dignity. The current policy is unable to reassure the youth, and corruption hinders everything.”
Yassine El-Gharsalaoui came from the city of Sfax to participate in the protest. He told Reuters: "The country is collapsing at all levels. We are suffering from crisis after crisis of thirst and frequent power outages, while the crises are being thrown at conspirators and traitors."
He added: "I am here to defend my freedom, and I am not ready to give it up even if I were the last voice screaming in the country."
The opposition and civil society organizations denounce the decline in rights and freedoms since Saied gathered broad powers in his hands on July 25, 2021.
During 2021 and 2022, the president took a series of measures that included dissolving the elected parliament, ruling by decree, dissolving the Judicial Council, and dismissing dozens of judges, in steps that his opponents described as a coup.
Local and international human rights organizations accuse Saeed of escalating a campaign of repression targeting civil society, journalists, and opposition figures, and of throwing his critics in prisons.
But Saied rejects the accusations of tyranny and oppression, and says that he is continuing to cleanse the country of those he describes as “traitors, corrupt, and conspirators.” He also accuses his opponents of creating economic crises with the aim of inflaming social conditions and igniting the country from within.
Participants in Saturday's demonstration repeated the slogan "The people want to overthrow the regime," which emerged during the uprising that toppled President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011 and paved the way for protests in other Arab countries.
The protests are taking place at a time when Tunisia is facing a financial crisis characterized by high public debt, weak growth and limited access to external financing, according to Reuters.
The draft budget law for 2027, which the agency reviewed, showed that the government plans to issue its first Islamic sukuk worth nine billion dinars, or about three billion dollars, to provide financing to cover budget needs.
The government also intends to request about ten billion dinars, equivalent to $3.35 billion, in the form of direct financing from the Central Bank of Tunisia, for the fourth year in a row.
