Tunis – Thousands of Tunisians took to the streets of the capital, Tunis, on Saturday, October 17, in the largest protest against President Kais Saied in years, accusing his government of weakening democratic institutions and failing to address the country’s worsening economic conditions.
The demonstration, led by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) and civil society organisations, brought together opposition parties, lawyers, doctors, journalists, unemployed people and other groups in a rare show of unity against Saied’s rule.
Tunisia is facing mounting economic difficulties, deteriorating public services, recurring water and electricity cuts, and shortages of medicines and essential goods. These challenges have fuelled public frustration and added pressure on the president.
Saied expanded his powers in 2021 and 2022, dissolving parliament, dismissing dozens of judges and governing by decree. His opponents described the moves as a coup, while rights organisations have accused his administration of intensifying restrictions on civil society, journalists and opposition figures.
The president has rejected allegations that he is a dictator and accused his opponents of deliberately creating economic crises to provoke social unrest.
Protesters marched along Habib Bourguiba Avenue, a major thoroughfare in Tunis that became a focal point of demonstrations during the 2011 uprising that helped trigger the Arab Spring.
The turnout represented a significant challenge to Saied after years of political divisions weakened the opposition’s ability to organise large demonstrations.
“Silence will no longer be acceptable … the state cannot built by concentrating all powers in the hand of one person”, UGTT leader Slah Eddine Salmi told the rally.
Hundreds of police officers were deployed across the capital as demonstrators voiced their anger over the country’s political and economic situation.
Chanting “No fear, power belongs to the people!” and “The prisons are full, people are hungry!”, protesters also revived a defining slogan of Tunisia’s 2011 uprising: “The people want the fall of the regime!”
The demonstrators called for the release of critics detained under Saied’s administration and demanded an end to what they described as attacks on trade union rights. Others carried banners expressing frustration over unemployment and pollution.
The protest also drew participants from outside the capital, including Yassine Gharseli, who travelled from Sfax, approximately 250 kilometres south of Tunis, to join the march.
“Enough is enough! The country is collapsing. We suffer from power and water cuts, and one crisis after another,” Gharseli said.
“I came from Sfax to stand up for my freedom and I’m not about to give up, even if I become the last voice in the country.”
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