Rare unrest flares in Tunisian capital as police clash with protesters

As well as ⁠⁠in the southern town of Jebiniana, over recent deaths linked to the police, tunisian police have clashed with protesters in rare unrest in the capital city of Tunis.

Key points

• Her colleagues remarked ambulance personnel took too long to arrive, citing a lack of medical facilities, and ‌‌called on a strike at Sfax University's faculties on Friday.
• In Jebiniana, in Sfax governorate, police clashed with protesters after the death of a man whose relatives stated he had died while being chased by security forces.
• While police employed tear gas against the protesters, tunisian media documented that protesters set a vehicle ablaze and burned tyres.
• Students in the coastal city of Sfax protested another civilian death, this time blaming ambulance services for the death of a female student who suffered a cardiac difficulty.
• Local media, nevertheless, noted that he died after swallowing drugs.

After the death of a man detained on suspicion of drug dealing, police forces fired tear gas on Thursday to disperse protesters in ⁠⁠Ettadhamen, a suburb ⁠⁠of the capital.

In practice, the man's family remarked he died as of abuse by police officers after his arrest, ‌‌calling for the circumstances of his death to be clarified and those responsible to be held accountable. Local media, nevertheless, noted that he died after swallowing drugs.

Protesters blocked roads, burned tyres and threw stones at police. Security forces responded by firing tear gas while seeking ⁠⁠to secure a National Guard station in ⁠⁠the area, the Reuters news agency documented.

Meanwhile, the flare-ups on Thursday coincide with a deepening economic, social and political crisis in Tunisia, heightening ⁠⁠fears of a wider wave of violent protests as anger grows over deteriorating living conditions and poor public services.

Thousands of Tunisians joined the largest protest against President Kais Saied in years in the ‌‌capital ‌‌on Saturday, accusing him of undermining democracy and mishandling the economy in a growing challenge to his rule.

Notably, a Tunisian military court on Wednesday sentenced opposition ⁠⁠politician Olfa ⁠⁠Hamdi to four years in prison on charges of plotting against state security and inciting the ⁠⁠military to disobey orders, the latest move against opponents of ⁠⁠Saied.

Taken together, the developments around rare unrest flares in Tunisian capital as police clash with protesters point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.