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Tunisian streets see massive protests on fifth anniversary of Saied's emergency rule
On 25 July 2026, thousands of Tunisians gathered in Tunis to mark the five‑year anniversary of President Kais Saied’s 2021 emergency decree that suspended parliament and gave him sweeping powers. Demonstrators marched down Habib Bourguiba Avenue and through Republic Square, chanting slogans such as “Leave,” “People want the fall of the regime,” and “We are not tenants of this country, we are its owners.”
The protests were organised by the umbrella movement Nafas and a coalition of opposition parties, including Ennahdha. Participants denounced worsening living conditions, a deepening economic recession, and frequent electricity and water cuts, all intensified by a heat wave with temperatures reaching 50 °C. Estimates of attendance ranged from about 1 000 to more than 3 000 people, with many citizens who have not been on the streets for years taking part.
Spokesman Wissam Sghaier of the Jomhouri opposition party told Al Jazeera that the crowd was demanding President Saied’s resignation and the release of political prisoners, calling the emergency measures a reversal of Tunisia’s democratic transition.
Entities
Ennahdha · Kais Saied · Nafas · Rached Ghannouchi · Wissam Sghaier
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Attendance estimates ranged from about 1 000 to more than 3 000 participants. abidjantv.net · anfenglishmobile.com · machahid24.com
- [● 15 SOURCES] The protests were organised by the Nafas umbrella movement together with opposition parties such as Ennahdha. antiguatribune.com · jamaicainquirer.com · machahid24.com · dominicanrepublicpost.com · trinidadtribune.com · +10 more
- [● 17 SOURCES] Demonstrators called for President Kais Saied to resign. antiguatribune.com · ihata.ma · jamaicainquirer.com · machahid24.com · dominicanrepublicpost.com · +12 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] Wissam Sghaier said, “We are not tenants of this country, we are its owners.” antiguatribune.com · jamaicainquirer.com · dominicanrepublicpost.com · trinidadtribune.com · abidjantv.net · +8 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] Protesters complained about worsening living conditions, frequent electricity and water cuts, and a heat wave with temperatures up to 50 °C. ihata.ma · jamaicainquirer.com · machahid24.com · abidjantv.net · anfenglishmobile.com · +3 more
- [● 17 SOURCES] Protest slogans included “Leave”, “People want the fall of the regime,” and “The people want the fall of the regime.” antiguatribune.com · ihata.ma · jamaicainquirer.com · machahid24.com · dominicanrepublicpost.com · +12 more
- [● 17 SOURCES] Protests took place in Tunis on 25 July 2026, marking five years since President Kais Saied declared a national emergency. antiguatribune.com · ihata.ma · jamaicainquirer.com · machahid24.com · dominicanrepublicpost.com · +12 more