- Title: TUNISIA: Pro-government rally draws tens of thousands in Tunisia
- Date: 4th August 2013
- Summary: TUNIS, TUNISIA (AUGUST 3, 2013) (REUTERS) TOP VIEW OF THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS OF RULING ENNAHDA PARTY PROTESTING IN KASBAH SQUARE IN TUNIS CROWDS PROTESTING WITH FLAME BURNING IN BACKGROUND PAN OF THE CROWDS IN KASBAH FIREWORKS PROTESTERS HOLDING FLAGS AND BANNERS TOP VIEW OF PROTEST / PROTESTERS CHANTING VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING AND CARRYING LARGE TUNISIAN FLAG PROTESTERS WAVING FLAGS AND CHANTING SLOGANS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GOVERNMENT SUPPORTER, SALEEM EL RAFEEK, SAYING: "After we reached safety and we elected our own representatives, a group of people wanted to overthrow legitimacy, and that is why we wanted to raise our voice and to show the world and the people and this group that the Tunisian people are united in support of legitimacy, and the Constituent Assembly, and the government." YOUNG GIRLS CHANTING VARIOUS OF WOMEN CHANTING AND SINGING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GOVERNMENT SUPPORTER, JAMEELA BIN RABEH, SAYING: "Ennahda improved our lives in every aspect. We are free to dress and to go out and to pray. Go to the mosques, full freedom, you can wear what you want, to cover up and to wear the veil. Whatever you like, not like before. Before, we used to pray under the eyes of the police and security forces who used to arrest us. They would stop us and our men too, and they would beat us." SUPPORTERS OF GOVERNMENT CHANTING TUNISIAN FLAGS MORE OF THE PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GOVERNMENT SUPPORTER, CLERIC EL HADI EL-OUSHI, SAYING: "Today, we have freedom. Whoever wants to express his opinion, whether by word or effort or sacrifice, it is possible. Unfortunately, there are those people who want to block this because of their own personal gains. They want the others to fail so they can fulfil their own personal goals." VARIOUS OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS HOLDING UP POSTERS WOMAN WAVING FLAG VARIOUS OF PROTEST
- Embargoed: 19th August 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Tunisia
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAB22KW94XG4JFW2F31NBL1TWQ9
- Story Text: Tens of thousands of Tunisians came out in a show of force for the country's Islamist-led government on Saturday (August 3), in one of the largest demonstrations since the 2011 revolution.
Shouting, "No to coups, yes to elections," supporters of the ruling Ennahda party crowded into Kasbah Square next to the prime minister's office in the capital, Tunis.
Ennahda, a moderate Islamist party, called on supporters of the embattled government to join the rally to push back against a week of mass protests calling for the government's ouster.
And many heeded Ennahda's call.
"After we reached safety and we elected our own representatives, a group of people wanted to overthrow legitimacy, and that is why we wanted to raise our voice and to show the world and the people and this group that the Tunisian people are united in support of legitimacy, and the Constituent Assembly, and the government," said 41-year-old Saleem El Rafeek, an Ennahda supporter.
"Ennahda improved our lives in every aspect. We are free to dress and to go out and to pray. Go to the mosques, full freedom, you can wear what you want, to cover up and to wear the veil. Whatever you like, not like before. Before, we used to pray under the eyes of the police and security forces who used to arrest us. They would stop us and our men too, and they would beat us," exclaimed Jameela Bin Rabeh, who wrapped the Ennahda flag around her head.
Kasbah Square was the site of major rallies in the days after autocratic President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali was toppled in 2011, with demonstrators demanding a transitional constituent assembly to draft a new constitution - one of the bodies the opposition is now demanding be dissolved.
Earlier on Saturday, Tunisia's prime minister appealed for calm from pro- and anti-government groups planning rival mass rallies this weekend.
Some Ennahda supporters accuse the opposition of using the current situation for political gain.
"Today, we have freedom. Whoever wants to express his opinion, whether by word or effort or sacrifice, it is possible. Unfortunately, there are those people who want to block this because of their own personal gains. They want the others to fail so they can fulfil their own personal goals," said cleric Hadi El-Oushi from the rally.
A fledgling "Arab Spring" democracy, Tunisia now faces one of the worst crises since Ben Ali was toppled, the first in a wave of uprisings across the region.
Planned talks on the political and security crises on Saturday failed to produce results, as the main opposition groups declined to attend.
Instead, both the government and the opposition reiterated the positions they have held all week.
The opposition has been angered by the assassination of two of its senior members, and, emboldened by the army-backed ouster of its Egypt's Islamist president, wants to dissolve the government. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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