Tunisian Security Forces Clash with Protesters Amid Rising Civil Unrest

POLICY WIRE — Tunis, Tunisia — Tunisian security forces utilized tear gas to break up demonstrations in Ettadhamen, a suburb of the capital, following the death of a man held on suspicion of drug-related offenses.

These confrontations are part of a broader wave of rare unrest affecting both the capital and the southern town of Jebiniana, where citizens have taken to the streets to protest recent fatalities involving law enforcement.

In the central city of Kairouan, clashes persisted for a second consecutive night as youths engaged with police following the death of a man allegedly subjected to violence during a police pursuit. Eyewitnesses reported that demonstrators blocked thoroughfares with burning tires and attacked security personnel with flares, stones, and Molotov cocktails.

Separately, thousands gathered in the southern city of Gabes on Wednesday to demand the shutdown of a local chemical plant, an event that resulted in injuries to both protesters and riot police. The ongoing demonstrations present a mounting challenge to the administration of President Saied, even as the opposition remains fragmented.

Authorities have responded with a heavy security presence, deploying hundreds of officers throughout the capital. These tensions arrive as the nation approaches the anniversary of the 2011 revolution, with the powerful UGTT union already signaling plans for a nationwide strike next month.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)