Thousands of Tunisians demonstrated on Friday to protest the “serious decline in freedoms and rights”, to demand the release of politicians and journalists imprisoned for their opposition positions and to prevent any intimidation against presidential candidates.
Reuters news agency described the demonstration as one of the largest protests since last year against President Kais Saied, who tightened his grip on power and began ruling by decree in 2021, in a move the opposition called a coup.
The Tunisian Network for Rights and Freedoms, which brings together left-wing parties, social parties and civil society organisations, called for this demonstration.
The march participants raised slogans calling for the return of democracy, the fight against the deviation of the authorities and the end of attacks on politicians, human rights activists and media workers.
In turn, Agence France-Presse reported that the majority of the protesters were young people and women and that they chanted slogans such as “Kais Saied is a dictator,” “The freedoms of the police state are over” and “Leave, leave.” Said.
The same agency claims that Saeed has been monopolizing power in the country since July 2021 and is seeking to win a second term in the elections scheduled for October 6, in which the Electoral Commission excluded 3 candidates from the race, even though the administrative court approved the legitimacy of their candidacy files.