Multitudes hit the streets of Tunis on Sunday night to protest against shortage of some foodstuff, high cost of living as President Kais Saied battles economic and political crisis in the country.
With inflation running at nearly 9% and a shortage of many food items in stores, Tunisia is struggling to revive its public finances and wade off growing discontent.
Beyond food shortages, the country is also in the midst of a severe political crisis since Saied seized control of the executive power in 2021 and dissolved parliament in a move his opponents called a coup.
Some protesters in the Douar Hicher district lifted loaves of bread in the air, chanting “Where is Kais Saied?”. Other angry youths burned tires.
Youths in the Mornag suburb blocked roads, protesting the suicide of a young man said to have hanged himself, after municipal police harassed him and seized a weighing machine when he was selling fruit in the street without permission.
Protesters raised slogans against the police and threw stones in Mornag before riot police shot tear gas to disperse them.
Some others were heard chanting: “We need jobs. We need to live”, “Where is sugar?”,
“Jobs, freedom and national dignity,” and “We say NO to crazy price hikes!”
Tunisia, which is suffering its worst financial crisis, is seeking to secure an International Monetary Fund loan to save public finances from collapse.
Food shortages are worsening in Tunisia with empty shelves in supermarkets and bakeries, adding to popular discontent at high prices of many Tunisians who spend hours searching for sugar, milk, butter, cooking oil and rice.
The government raised this month the price of cooking gas cylinders by 14% for the first time in 12 years. It also raised fuel prices for the fourth time this year as part of a plan to reduce energy subsidies, a policy change sought by the IMF.