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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]

2 clusters · 25 sources · 1 days · First seen 5 days ago · Last updated 5 days ago

Categories: POLITICS

Tunisia under Saied: protests mark rule anniversary

Entities: Nafas · Ennahdha · Kais Saied · Rached Ghannouchi · Wissam Sghaier

Overview

President Kais Saied’s 2021 constitutional takeover entrenched presidential power, persisting after his 2024 re‑election, while chronic shortages of water, electricity and medicines have repeatedly sparked street unrest. On the five‑year anniversary of Saied’s July 25 2026 emergency decree, thousands marched through Tunis from Republic Square along Habib Bourguiba Avenue to the Municipal Theatre, bearing flags and chanting slogans such as “the people want the fall of the regime”, “freedom, work, national dignity” and “Saied, leave”. The rally was organised by the umbrella initiative Nafas and a coalition of opposition parties, including Ennahdha, and featured opposition spokesperson Wissam Sghaier, who called for Saied’s resignation and the release of political prisoners.

Pro‑Saied supporters simultaneously celebrated the Republic’s 69th anniversary and the launch of the 2026‑2030 development programme, while parliament called for national unity. A severe heatwave, with temperatures soaring to about 50 °C, intensified the infrastructure crisis, linking the protest movement directly to the state’s development agenda. Attendance estimates ranged from roughly 1,000 to over 3,000 participants, many of whom had not taken to the streets for years.

The demonstrations highlighted grievances over deteriorating living conditions, frequent power and water cuts, rising prices and the imprisonment of political opponents, underscoring the mounting pressure on Saied’s regime.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 17 SOURCES] Protests took place in Tunis on 25 July 2026, marking five years since President Kais Saied declared a national emergency. (multiple articles)
[● 17 SOURCES] Demonstrators called for President Kais Saied to resign. (multiple articles)
[● 17 SOURCES] Protest slogans included “Leave”, “People want the fall of the regime,” and “The people want the fall of the regime.” (multiple articles)
[● 15 SOURCES] The protests were organised by the Nafas umbrella movement together with opposition parties such as Ennahdha. (multiple articles)
[● 13 SOURCES] Wissam Sghaier said, “We are not tenants of this country, we are its owners.” (multiple articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] Protesters complained about worsening living conditions, frequent electricity and water cuts, and a heat wave with temperatures up to 50 °C. (multiple articles)
[● 3 SOURCES] Attendance estimates ranged from about 1 000 to more than 3 000 participants. (multiple articles)

Timeline

5 days ago

[POLITICS] 24 sources
Tunisian streets see massive protests on fifth anniversary of Saied's emergency rule
Thousands protested in Tunis on 25 July 2026, marking five years of Saied’s emergency rule and demanding his resignation amid economic hardship and power cuts.
5 days ago

[POLITICS] 2 sources
Tunisia's entrenched presidentialism fuels political crisis and heat‑wave failures
Tunisia's long‑standing presidential system concentrates power, and a 2026 heat wave revealed failing state services, electricity cuts and hospital deaths, raising doubts about President Kais Saïed’s health and

Sources

abidjantv.net · alaraby.co.uk · anfenglishmobile.com · antiguatribune.com · arabic.euronews.com · barbadosgazette.com · ca.sports.yahoo.com · entrevue.fr · fr.news.yahoo.com · haksozhaber.net · ihata.ma · jamaicainquirer.com · kapitalis.com · lapresse.tn · leconomistemaghrebin.com · machahid24.com · mondafrique.com · portadaestrela.com · pressafrik.com · republika.co.rs · rfi.fr · siamevent.com · time.news · trinidadtribune.com · webdo.tn

This summary has been updated 4 times: see revision history