Thousands rally in Tunisia against Saied’s seizure of power
Tunisians demonstrators have gathered near the country's parliament in the capital Tunis as security forces have been deployed in an attempt to prevent them from reaching the building.
The protest was staged by a campaign called “citizens against coup” to rally against Saied’s “exceptional measures”, which included the suspension of parliament.
Thousands of Tunisians have marched near parliament in the capital Tunis against President Kais Saied's seizure of political power.
Hundreds of police were deployed to the capital's Bardo palace in an attempt to prevent demonstrators from reaching the parliament building on Sunday.
"Shut down Kais Saied" and "Freedom! Freedom! End the police state!" protesters chanted as they pulled down barriers obstructing the roads leading to the parliament building.
The protest was staged by a campaign called “citizens against coup” to rally against Saied’s “exceptional measures”, which included the suspension of parliament.
"We are under one-man rule since July 25... we will stay here until they open the roads and end the siege," said Jawher Ben Mbarek, a protest leader.
Protesters accuse authorities of preventing people from joining the demonstrations in Tunis.
READ MORE: Tunisians take to streets against President Said's seizure of powers
Increasingly vocal opposition, along with a looming crisis in public finances, may pose a new test of how Saied and the new government he has appointed will tackle threats to their authority.
Power seize
Saied seized nearly all powers in July, suspending the parliament and dismissing the government in a move his critics called a coup, before installing a new prime minister and announcing he could rule by decree.
The president said his actions were needed to end governmental paralysis after years of political squabbling and economic stagnation, and has promised to uphold rights and freedoms won in the 2011 revolution that brought democracy.
Several prominent politicians have been arrested and hundreds have faced travel bans, while a former president living outside Tunisia, Moncef Marzouki, faces prosecution for his verbal attacks on Saied.
Sunday's protest followed clashes last week between police and protesters in the southern town of Agareb in which one person was killed.
READ MORE: Why is anti-Saied sentiment on the rise in Tunisia?
Security forces were deployed in Place of Bardo in an attempt to prevent demonstrators from reaching the parliament building, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter on the ground.
Copyright © 2024 TRT World.