Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Protesters swarm streets of Tunisia over poverty, police brutality and a botched Covid-19 response

Protesters swarm streets of Tunisia over poverty, police brutality and a botched Covid-19 response

Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of Tunisia to vent their ire at social inequality, police brutality and a lackluster response to the coronavirus pandemic which has exacerbated economic woes in the country.

Police have engaged in increasingly violent nightly clashes with protesters in recent days, amid weeks of demonstrations.

The situation escalated on Monday with the death of Haykel Rachdi, a young man who was hit by a police tear-gas canister.

He was buried on Tuesday and clashes between mourners and police ensued shortly afterwards, as tensions continued to simmer.



Protesters have decried the imposition of what they dubbed a “police state.” “No work, no development, no investment... just police against the people,” said one protester.


The country’s parliament voted on Tuesday to approve a cabinet reshuffle amid rising tensions between factions in support of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and those backing President Kais Saied.

Police erected fortified barricades outside the parliament buildings in the capital, Tunis, and deployed water cannon to disperse the largest crowd seen during weeks of protests and unrest.



The crowd marched from the Ettadhamen district of the capital, which itself has seen violent clashes between youths and police for weeks, after Mechichi named 11 new ministers

“Young people protesting outside parliament reminds us of our priorities. Their protests are legitimate and the government will listen to the angry youth,” he said.

However President Saied said this week he would reject the cabinet reshuffle, denounced the lack of female representation in the government and cited potential conflicts of interest among newly-minted members.

The unrest coincides with the 10th anniversary of Tunisia’s 2011 revolution, which went on to inspire the so-called Arab Spring, though many Tunisians now lament the failure to realise the democrat dreams of the revolution, with protesters’ chants of “The people want the fall of the regime!” now echoing similar chants from a decade ago.

Tunisia's economy shrank by more than eight percent in 2020, owing to festering economic problems greatly exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, with public debt exploding to more than 90 percent of GDP.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×