Thousands of Tunisians marched through the capital on Saturday in the largest demonstration against President Kais Saied in years, demanding an end to restrictions on political freedoms and protesting worsening living conditions.
The march was led by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), an influential trade union federation, alongside opposition parties and civil society organisations. It brought together political opponents whose longstanding divisions have previously weakened their ability to challenge Saied's rule.
More than 3,000 people were reported to have taken part, according to sources, though the figure could not be independently confirmed.
Protesters gathered along Habib Bourguiba Avenue, a major street in central Tunis, as hundreds of police deployed across the capital and several surrounding roads were closed.
The crowd included lawyers, doctors, journalists, the unemployed, activists and members of parties from across the political spectrum. Demonstrators demanded the release of detained government critics and an end to restrictions on trade union rights.
Placards reading "No democracy without freedoms" and "No dignity with poverty" reflected the political and economic grievances driving the march.
Protesters also revived a slogan demanding the government's removal, widely heard during Tunisia's 2011 uprising.
Addressing the rally, UGTT leader Salah Eddine Salmi criticised the concentration of political power in the presidency and said "silence will no longer be acceptable."
Among those present was Yassine Gharseli, who travelled from Sfax, approximately 250 kilometres south of Tunis. "I came from Sfax to stand up for my freedom," he said, expressing his determination to continue speaking out.
The political demands came alongside mounting frustration over the cost of basic goods and declining purchasing power. Tunisia has struggled with prolonged economic difficulties, deteriorating public services, recurring water and electricity cuts, and shortages of medicines and other essentials.
Saturday's march followed a series of earlier demonstrations over similar grievances. On 20 August, protesters in Tunis rallied against rising prices and shortages of basic goods. Last month, fuel transport workers staged a two-day strike over wages and working conditions, led by a union federation affiliated with the UGTT.
The demands echo those of the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, which helped ignite protests across the Arab world. Tunisia subsequently held competitive elections and expanded political freedoms, but unemployment and struggling public services have remained persistent sources of public anger.
Saied came to power promising an alternative to that political system. In 2021, however, he suspended parliament and dismissed the government, citing corruption and political deadlock. He later dissolved parliament, and a new constitution adopted in 2022 significantly expanded presidential powers.
