Tunisians protest against political, economic conditions
Thousands of Tunisians gathered on Saturday in the capital to protest against the jailing of government critics, the curtailing of liberties and economic conditions in the North African country.
At least 2,000 people, including activists and political party members, gathered in Tunis to demonstrate "against injustices" at a rally organised by the committee defending jailed lawyer Ahmed Souab, AFP journalists and witnesses said.
The protest -- one of the largest in recent months -- made symbolic stops in front of the headquarters of the Tunisian Chemical Group, which has been accused of releasing harmful pollutants in the southern city of Gabes, and outside the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT).
Dressed in black and with whistles and red ribbons, the demonstrators shouted "Freedom, freedom!" and called for the release of dozens of opposition figures, journalists, lawyers and humanitarian workers jailed in recent years.
Many of those have been held on charges of plotting against President Kais Saied, or on accusations of "spreading false news" under a law Saied enacted in 2022.
"The people want the fall of the regime," protesters shouted, echoing chants from the Arab Spring uprising that toppled longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
Some held up signs reading "Not my president", referring to Saied who was democratically elected in 2019 before staging a power grab two years later.
"We've had enough of this president and the group around him," Nejia Adjmi, 63, a retired pastry chef, told AFP.
"The country is in misery -- we can't buy anything, the country is collapsing, the hospitals are in bad shape," she said.
"We can't even express ourselves on social media anymore," Adjmi added, saying she was a close friend of Saber Chouchane, who was sentenced to death and then pardoned in October for criticising the president and Justice Minister Leila Jaffel on Facebook.
Tunisian and international rights groups have decried the erosion of rights and freedoms since Saied's 2021 power grab.
Citizens have also complained of their reduced purchasing power because of inflation, with food products particularly affected.