Rare unrest flares in Tunisian capital as police clash with protesters

Police have clashed with protesters in Tunisia's capital in a rare outbreak of unrest that spread to several other cities, as anger mounts over a deepening economic and political crisis.

Security forces fired tear gas on Thursday to disperse demonstrators in Ettadhamen, a working-class suburb of Tunis. Protesters blocked roads, burned tyres and threw stones at officers, who answered with volleys of tear gas.

The unrest was not limited to the capital. In Jebiniana, in the Sfax governorate, police clashed with residents after the death of a man following his arrest. His family said he died as a result of abuse by police officers and demanded an investigation, while local media reported that he died after swallowing drugs.

In the coastal city of Sfax itself, students took to the streets over another death, accusing ambulance crews of arriving too late. Colleagues of the victim pointed to a lack of medical facilities in the area.

The flare-ups coincide with a deepening economic, social and political crisis in Tunisia. They come shortly after thousands of Tunisians joined the largest demonstration against President Kais Saied in years in the capital, demanding a return to democracy. A military court this week also sentenced opposition politician Olfa Hamdi to four years in prison on charges of plotting against state security.

Tunisia, once seen as the Arab Spring's lone success story, has grown increasingly tense under Saied, who has concentrated power in his hands since 2021.