Tunisian police use tear gas, water cannons to disperse anti-Saied protest

Tunisian police have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of protesters trying to reach central Tunis to demonstrate against the President Kais Saied in defiance of Covid-19 restrictions.

A heavy police presence prevented the protesters gathering in Habib Bourguiba Avenue on Friday, the main street in central Tunis that is the traditional focal point of demonstrations including during the 2011 revolution that brought democracy.

Police then tried to disperse several different groups of protesters, at least one of which had hundreds of demonstrators, witnesses said.

The Interior Ministry said 1,200 people had protested and said its forces had exercised restraint.

Opposition parties including Ennahda have been protesting against Saied's suspension of parliament, assumption of executive power and moves to rewrite the constitution, which they call a coup.

READ MORE: Tunisia's Ennahda calls for protest against Saied's 'nascent dictatorship'

'Attack on freedoms'

"Preventing free Tunisians from protesting on the revolution anniversary is shameful... and is an attack on freedoms and represents a big decline under the coup authorities," said Imed Khemiri, an Ennahda member of the suspended parliament.

Dozens of police cars stood in the area and two water cannons were placed outside the Interior Ministry building, which is located on the same street.

Friday's protest goes against a ban on all indoor or outdoor gatherings the government announced on Tuesday to stop a Covid-19 wave.

Ennahda and other parties taking part in the protest accused the government of introducing the ban and resuming its night curfew for political rather than health reasons as a way of preventing protests.

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