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Tunisia under Saied: protests mark rule anniversary

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-07-26 10:59 UTC → 2026-07-27 02:22 UTC · added ~~removed~~

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,~~ rally was organised by the umbrella initiative Nafas and ~~featuring~~ a coalition of opposition parties, including Ennahdha, and featured opposition spokesperson Wissam Sghaier, ~~highlighted grievances over deteriorating living conditions, frequent power and water cuts, rising prices~~ who called for Saied’s resignation and the ~~imprisonment~~ release of political ~~opponents.~~ 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~~ 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.

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