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Mass protest as Tunisia political crisis escalates

Tunisians rallied in the capital to protest President Kais Saied’s steps to tighten his grip on power.

Opponents of Tunisia's President Kais Saied shout slogans as they take part in a protest against what they call a coup. [Mohamed Messara/EPA]
Published On 27 Sep 2021

Hundreds of people took to the streets of the Tunisian capital to protest President Kaïs Saied’s recent decrees bolstering the already near-total power he granted himself two months ago.

They include the continuing suspension of the parliament’s powers, the suspension of all legislators’ immunity from prosecution, and a freeze on their salaries.

In July, Saied decided to sack the country’s prime minister, suspend parliament – whose powers are now frozen – and assume executive authority, saying it was because of a national emergency.

His critics called it a coup.

Protesters on Sunday demanded the country’s constitution be respected and parliament reinstated.

Dozens of Saied supporters held a counter-protest but were separated by security barriers.

On Saturday, more than 100 Ennahdha party officials announced their resignations to protest the movement’s leadership.

An estimated 2,000 demonstrators converged in Tunisia's capital Tunis against President Saied's recent steps to tighten his grip on power. [Fethi Belaid/AFP]
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Police officers stand guard during protests in Tunis against President Kais Saied's seizure of governing powers. [Zoubeir Souissi/Reuters]
The protest came after global and Tunisian human rights groups condemned Saied's "power grab" and labelled it "a first step towards "authoritarianism". [Zoubeir Souissi/Reuters]
Police maintained a heavy presence around the demonstration and set up barricades. [Zoubeir Souissi/Reuters]
Demonstrators carry flags and banners during the protest against the Tunisian president. [Zoubeir Souissi/Reuters]
Tunisians hold up copies of the constitution during the protests. The president has announced plans to rewrite the charter. [Zoubeir Souissi/Reuters]
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Sunday's was the largest demonstration since Saied on July 25 sacked Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, suspended parliament, and granted himself judicial extraordinary powers. [Fethi Belaid/AFP]