Tunisian president faces rival protests amid deepening political divide

In Tunisia’s capital Tunis on Thursday, both opponents and supporters of President Kais Saied held separate demonstrations, reflecting an increasingly polarized political climate.

Anti-Saied protesters accused him of using the judiciary and police to silence dissent and chanted slogans like "Saied go away, you are a dictator". This was the second opposition protest within a week, amid growing international concern that Tunisia, once a symbol of democratic hope in the Arab world is drifting toward authoritarianism.

Meanwhile, Saied's supporters gathered nearby, voicing their support with chants of "No to foreign interference' and 'The people want Saied again". Riot police were deployed to prevent conflict, and no violence was reported.

The protests follow a crackdown on opposition voices, including the recent arrest of prominent lawyer and former judge Ahmed Souab, known for his vocal criticism of the president. His detention came just after several opposition leaders received prison sentences on conspiracy charges, sparking condemnation from France, Germany, and the United Nations.

Saied dismissed international criticism as interference in Tunisia’s internal affairs. Since 2021, he has dissolved parliament and assumed wide-ranging powers, a move his critics call a coup. He argues it was necessary to combat corruption and bring stability.

Most of Saied’s key political opponents, including Abir Moussi and Rached Ghannouchi, are currently imprisoned. While Saied insists Tunisia remains a democracy and denies ambitions of dictatorship, the opposition claims the nation’s democratic gains are being rolled back.

Copied