In Tunisia, hundreds of protestors have been arrested as Tunisian police clashed with demonstrators in protest against the police and it’s declining economy.
The demonstrations began in Siliana on Friday during the start of a four-day coronavirus lockdown on January 14th, after a video was uploaded to social media showing a police officer shouting and pushing a shepherd. The shepherd’s sheep entered the local government headquarters.
Protests were also reported in Sousse, Nabeul and the capital of Tunis,
As the video went viral, hundreds of protesters erected barricades and set fire to objects to block the city’s street.
“Don’t let anyone exploit your misery.”
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 19, 2021
Tunisia's President Kais Saied has appealed for calm after several nights of violent protests in several cities, as anger mounts over economic hardship. Read more: https://t.co/UkHuBvupUZ pic.twitter.com/VQdhieTdbN
Protestors’ primary demands are for jobs, better government services and an end to police violence.
“It’s a new generation,” Ons Ben Abdelkarim, Tunisia representative for Expectation State, an emerging-nations development aid group, said via The Washington Post. “They didn’t know anything about the dictatorship. They really grew up hearing about democracy and the revolution and change, but they didn’t see an impact on their daily life.”
The civil unrest comes just after the country marked the 10-year anniversary of its revolution. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted and forced into exile during the revolt.
According to Reuters, an interior ministry spokesman said police detained 632 people on Sunday alone. Most of the detainees were aged 15-20, it said.
#OnThisDay 10 years ago, Tunisia's President Ben Ali fled the country after weeks of protests.
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 14, 2021
Samia Fitouri remembers that day and describes how 10 years on, freedom of expression remains one of the most vital and cherished assets for all Tunisians https://t.co/X76qh57IkJ pic.twitter.com/e0XIO1vxAn
Rights watchdog Amnesty International on Monday have called for the immediate release of Hamza Nassri Jeridi, a rights activist arrested on Monday.
“Security forces must immediately refrain from using unnecessary and excessive force to disperse protesters in the capital and several governorates, against marginalisation, police violence, poverty and lack of job opportunities,” it said.