- Title: Tunisians protest against president's power grab as opposition deepens
- Date: 26th September 2021
- Summary: TUNIS, TUNISIA (SEPTEMBER 26, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TUNISIANS PROTESTING, CHANTING, AND WAVING TUNISIAN FLAGS TUNISIAN PROTESTER HOLDING BANNER READING (Arabic): "There must be a Tunisian parliament" VARIOUS OF TUNISIANS PROTESTING, CHANTING, AND WAVING FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, ABDELFATTAH SAIED, SAYING: "He is acting like he is the sun that is rising on the country, the general prosecutor, the president, the parliament, the government. (He is acting) like he is everything. Even this authority that revised the (constitutional) laws. It is like he is saying, 'I am your God almighty', that is what it means. No, this must be removed. The Tunisian people deserve better than this. The Tunisian people and its movements don't want Kais Saied." PROTESTOR HOLDING A CAGE SIGN READING (Arabic): "Down with the coup" TUNISIANS PROTESTING SIGN READING (Arabic): "The constitution is a red line" CHILD WAVING TUNISIAN FLAG AMID PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING SLOGANS AND WAVING TUNISIAN FLAGS
- Embargoed: 10th October 2021 13:25
- Keywords: Kais Saied Politics Protests Tunisia
- Location: TUNIS, TUNISIA
- City: TUNIS, TUNISIA
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: Africa,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001EWCWJ0N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: About 2,000 demonstrators gathered in Tunis on Sunday (September 26) under a heavy police presence to protest against Tunisian President Kais Saied's seizure of governing powers in July and called on him to step down.
Saied this week brushed aside much of the 2014 constitution, giving himself the power to rule by decree two months after he sacked the prime minister, suspended parliament, and assumed executive authority.
"The people want the fall of the coup," they chanted in the centre of Tunis along Habib Bourguiba Avenue, a focal point of the demonstrations that ended the rule of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14, 2011.
The crisis has endangered the democratic gains that Tunisians won in a 2011 revolution that triggered the "Arab spring" protests and has also slowed efforts to tackle an urgent threat to public finances, worrying investors.
Saied has said his actions, which his opponents have called a coup, are needed to address a crisis of political paralysis, economic stagnation, and a poor response to the coronavirus pandemic. He has promised to uphold rights and not become a dictator.
Saied still has wide support from Tunisians who are tired of corruption and poor public services and say his hands are clean. Tunisia's influential labour union on Friday rejected key elements of President Kais Saied's seizure of near-total power and warned of a threat to democracy as opposition widened against a move his foes call a coup.
A first protest against Saied since his intervention on July 25 took place last week. It consisted of several hundred people.
Tunisia's largest political party, the moderate Islamist Ennahda, has called Saied's moves "a flagrant coup against democratic legitimacy" and called for people to unite and defend democracy in "a tireless peaceful struggle".
Four other political parties issued a joint statement condemning Saied on Wednesday and another large party, Heart of Tunisia, has also done so.
(Production: Jihed Abidellaoui, Nadeen Ebrahim) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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