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Rabat – With today marking the 12th anniversary of the 2011 revolution that sparked the Arab Spring, thousands have taken to the streets in Tunisia’s capital Tunis to protest President Kais Saied and demand that he step down.
The iconic Avenue Habib Bourgiba in the Tunisian capital was full of protestors on Saturday, with thousands carrying Tunisian flags and chanting “the people demand the fall of the regime,” a chant that was popular during the 2011 revolution.
The protests marched on despite heavy police presence and barricades aiming to stop the different protestors from different political parties from meeting.
Extremely poor turnout rate during last year’s parliamentary election and constitutional referendum has combined with poor economic performance to embolden anti-government sentiment in the country.
Only 11% of voters cast a ballot in last month’s parliamentary election, which was meant to replace the legislature that Saied himself had dissolved.
Tunisians have also been on the receiving end of increasing food and fuel prices, with basic goods like sugar and oil increasing in price in recent months. The economic crisis has also meant jobs are harder to find, with unemployment on the rise in the country.
Some have also complained of the absence of essential products from some supermarket shelves, while in other areas of the country citizens said their stores are rationing produce such as pasta and milk.
The North African country was considered a budding democracy by many after the 2011 revolution ousted President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, but moves by Saied to consolidate power have sparked warnings of backsliding.
Since he was elected in 2019, the president suspended the parliament that was elected by voters, and introduced a new constitution which critics say will help strengthen his “one-man rule.”
As a result, reports are suggesting that much needed loans and funds from international allies such as the US are now unlikely to go to the cash-strapped country.
