Thousands rally in Tunis against President Saied over freedoms and living costs

Thousands of people marched through the Tunisian capital on Saturday in what was described as the largest protest against President Kais Saied in years. The demonstration took place in central Tunis and focused on worsening living conditions, political restrictions and demands for the release of detained critics. Police were deployed across the city and several surrounding roads were closed as the crowd gathered on Habib Bourguiba Avenue.

The protest was led by the Tunisian General Labour Union, known as the UGTT, alongside opposition parties and civil society organisations. According to one news agency report cited in the source material, more than 3,000 people were on the march, although that figure could not be independently confirmed. The crowd included lawyers, doctors, journalists, unemployed people, activists and members of parties from across the political spectrum.

Organisers and participants said they were also calling for an end to restrictions on trade union rights. Placards at the rally linked political grievances with economic hardship, including messages reading that there is no democracy without freedoms and no dignity with poverty. Protesters also revived a slogan calling for the government's removal, echoing language heard during Tunisia's 2011 uprising.

UGTT leader Salah Eddine Salmi criticised the concentration of political power in the presidency and said silence would no longer be acceptable. The demonstration reflected growing frustration over the cost of basic goods and declining purchasing power. The rally matters because it brought together groups that have often been divided, including political opponents, union activists and civil society organisations.

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That broad coalition is significant in Tunisia, where public protests have long been a key way of expressing political and economic grievances. The event also highlighted the pressure on Saied's presidency at a time when critics say political freedoms have narrowed and living standards have deteriorated. The combination of economic strain and restrictions on dissent has made the protest more than a single-day street mobilisation.

The source material says Tunisia has been struggling with prolonged economic difficulties, deteriorating public services, recurring water and electricity cuts, and shortages of medicines and other essentials. One demonstrator who travelled from Sfax, about 250 kilometres south of Tunis, said repeated disruptions to basic services had deepened his frustration with the authorities. He told a news agency that he had come to stand up for his freedom and intended to keep speaking out.

Those comments underline how the protest mixed political demands with everyday economic concerns. What remains unclear is how many people took part in total, since the figure reported by one agency was not independently verified. It is also not clear whether the authorities will respond with arrests, concessions or further restrictions after the march.

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