Clashes took place between protesters and police on second night of violence on Saturday in Tunisian capital Tunis. Riot police resorted to firing tear gas in order to disperse crowds of demonstrators who threw stones and petrol bombs at police.
Protests started on Friday (October 14) after funeral of Malek Selimi (24) who died after a police chase in August left him with a severe neck injury.
Tunisia’s Interior Ministry has not commented on Selimi’s death.
Tunisia has been battling an intense political crisis since President Kais Saied seized power and dissolved parliament in 2021.
Earlier on Saturday, two rival opposition groups staged one of the biggest days of protest so far against the president, denouncing his moves to consolidate political power as public anger grows over fuel and food shortages.
Saied, who moved to rule by decree after shutting down parliament last year and expanding his powers with a new constitution passed in a July referendum, has said the measures were needed to save Tunisia from years of crisis.
In a speech made on Saturday, Kais Saied demanded departure of “all who want to undermine independence”. This was an apparent allusion to his political rivals.
Saied’s opponents say his actions have undermined the democracy secured through a 2011 revolution that ousted autocratic leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and triggered the Arab spring.
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