Thousands of Tunisians joined the largest protest against President Kais Saied in years on Saturday. Demonstrators accused the president of undermining democracy and mishandling the economy.
The powerful UGTT labour union and civil society groups led the demonstration. Tunisia grapples with an economic crisis, worsening public services, recurring water and power cuts, and shortages of medicines and essential goods.
In 2021, Saied dissolved parliament, dismissed dozens of judges and began ruling by decree. Opponents described these moves as a coup, and rights groups say he has intensified a crackdown on civil society, journalists and opposition figures.
Saied rejects those allegations and says he is not a dictator. He has accused his opponents of engineering economic crises to fuel social unrest.
Opposition parties from across the political spectrum joined lawyers, doctors, journalists, unemployed people and civil society groups in a rare show of unity. They marched along Habib Bourguiba Avenue, a focal point of the 2011 protests that helped trigger the Arab Spring uprisings.
The protest poses a key challenge to Saied after years of divisions weakened the opposition’s ability to mobilise large crowds. Hundreds of police were deployed across the capital.
Protesters chanted slogans including, "No fear, power belongs to the people," and, "Prisons are full, people are hungry." They called for the release of Saied’s critics and demanded an end to attacks on trade union rights.
Other participants carried banners expressing frustration over unemployment and pollution. Yassine Gharseli, a protester from Sfax located about 250 kilometres south of Tunis, voiced deep anger over current living conditions.
"Enough is enough! The country is collapsing. We suffer from power and water cuts, and one crisis after another," said Gharseli. He travelled from Sfax to stand up for his freedom, adding that he is not ready to give up even if he becomes the last voice in the country.
