2018 Tunisian protests

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2018 Tunisian protests
Part of the 2018–2021 Arab protests
Date1 January 2018 (2018-01-01) – February 2018
Location
Tunisia
Caused byCost of living, taxes, and price hikes[1][2][3][4][5]
GoalsRepeal of the 2018 budget[6][7]
Methods
Parties to the civil conflict
Protesters
Opposition

 Tunisia

Lead figures
Hamma Hammami
(Opposition leader)		 Youssef Chahed
(Prime Minister)
Beji Caid Essebsi
(President)
Mohamed Ridha Chalghoum
(Finance Minister)
Number
Hundreds[6]
2,100 soldiers
Casualties and losses
1 killed,[9] 5 injured, 500+ arrested[10]
50 police injured[11]

The 2018 Tunisian protests were a series of protests occurring throughout Tunisia. Beginning January 2018, protests erupted in multiple towns and cities across Tunisia over issues related to the cost of living and taxes.[9] As of January 9, the demonstrations had claimed at least one life, and revived worries about the fragile political situation in Tunisia.[9]

The Popular Front, an alliance of leftist opposition parties, called for continued protests against the government's "unjust" austerity measures while Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed denounced the violence and appealed for calm, claiming that he and his government believe 2018 "would be the last difficult year for Tunisians".[12]

Background[]

After the 2011 Revolution, Tunisia was widely seen as the only democratic success story in the Arab Spring, a model "for democratic progress, with free elections and a modern constitution."[13][14][15][16][17] However, the country has subsequently had nine governments, none of which were able to tackle the country's growing economic problems.[13]

Labor strikes took place in 2012.[18]

Protests[]

The protests began in response to a new law that took effect on January 1, and raised taxes on gasoline, phone cards, housing, internet usage, hotel rooms and foods such as fruits and vegetables.[9][12] Import duties on cosmetics and some agricultural products were also raised.[19]

Opposition leader Hamma Hammami stated that several opposition parties would meet in order to coordinate their efforts on Tuesday, January 9.[12] The opposition then called for a mass protest to be held in the capital city of Tunis on 14 January to mark the seventh anniversary of the Arab Spring uprising which toppled President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.[20]

On 8 January a Jewish school on the Tunisian island of Djerba was firebombed, while there were no protests on the island, locals reported the assailants had exploited the fact that there was lower security presence as police were elsewhere dealing with the protestors.[11][21]

By the evening of 10 January over 2100 troops had been deployed to "protect sovereign institutions and vital facilities” such as "banks, post offices and other government buildings in the country's main cities" according to Defense Ministry spokesman Belhassen al-Waslati.[22]

On January 11, witnesses said that Tunisian protesters "burned down a regional national security headquarters near the Algerian border" as the government deployed security forces and said it will "not revise austerity measures in the 2018 budget."[4]

Late-2018 protests[]

Mass protests erupted, mostly by public sector workers, against the regime and its failure to keep the economy thriving in November 2018. Anti-government protests swelled from workers into a broader movement. The movement became popular within the nation. Workers demanded an end to police brutality, poverty and unemployment. University students protested with the workers demanding free education and better wages. Police tried to disperse the stone-throwers by tear gas and rubber bullets but police officials stopped using force and soon joined the demonstrations, demanding an end to the regime.

Casualties[]

It was confirmed in a statement by the Ministry of the Interior on 8 January that a man had been admitted to a Tebourba hospital with symptoms of dizziness and later died. His body had shown no signs of violence and a forensic doctor has been tasked with determining the man's cause of death. The government stated that the likely cause was due to inhalation of tear gas.[9][12] Five others were injured in the demonstrations according to a report published by Tunis Afrique Presse.[12]

Interior ministry spokesman Khelifa Chibani said about 50 policemen were wounded and 237 people were arrested on 9 January.[11] This was echoed by BBC which said on January 10 that "more than 200 people have been arrested" across the country, and at least 49 police officers injured "during clashes with demonstrators."[6] As of January 12, 778 people had been arrested by police in response to the protests.[23][24]

On January 12, the Spokesperson for OHCHR, Rupert Colville, said the United Nations is closely "watching the demonstrations across Tunisia and the authorities’ response to them" concerned about the "high number of arrests" and asserted that "authorities must ensure that those exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are not prevented from doing so."[25][2] Mr. Colville added that "peaceful demonstrators must not be held responsible or penalised for the violent acts of others" and urged all "sides to work together towards resolving, with full respect for human rights, the economic and social problems underpinning the unrest."

Responses[]

The governments of Britain, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Belgium have warned "their citizens about potential rioting" while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke with Tunisian leaders about the protests, saying he believed that when the country "stands united" Tunisia would "overcome its problems."[26][27][28] The embassy of the United States in the country put out a statement as well, reminding U.S. citizens "residing in and visiting Tunisia to exercise caution, avoid demonstrations and crowds, and monitor local media for breaking events."[29]

Ennahdha, a party in the governing coalition of Tunisia condemned the "exploitation of citizens' legitimate demands by certain anarchist groups" and stressed "the legitimacy of demands for development and employment and citizens' full right to peaceful protest without violating the safety of others or attacking private and public property" while the opposition alliance, Popular Front, called for "all Tunisian people [to] go out to the streets for a peaceful protests country wide for one clear goal, which is to bring down these actions that destroyed the Tunisian country and its people."[30] The Prime Minister of Tunisia also condemned the "vandalism" of protesters and claimed that while the country is "having difficulties...we believe that 2018 will be the last difficult year for the Tunisians."[31][32]

The Trotskyist WSWS, a website supportive of the protests, argued that in Tunisia, like Egypt, elements of the old regime "managed to reconsolidate power in the interests of the native ruling elites and international capital," further saying that the reforms imposed by the government are pushed to "meet the conditions demanded by the International Monetary Fund and the European Union."[33] Other supportive websites said that these "brave Tunisians...[are] courageous people rebelling long into the night [who] will continue on with or without our support."[34]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Hundreds arrested in Tunisia protests". NPR News. 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  2. ^ a b "Press briefing note on Tunisia". NPR News. 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  3. ^ "Protests turn violent in Tunisia over price hikes". Yahoo News. 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  4. ^ a b "Tunisia deploys army, makes 300 arrests as violent unrest persists". Reuters. 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  5. ^ "Protests hit Tunisia for third night as PM warns of crackdown". Sydney Morning Herald. 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  6. ^ a b c "Hundreds arrested in Tunisia protests". BBC News. 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  7. ^ "Tunisian opposition leader calls for continued protests". Al Jazeera. 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  8. ^ "Widespread protests force Tunisian army deployment". Long War Journal. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Blaise, Lilia (2018). "'You Can't Survive Anymore': Tunisia Protests Rising Prices and Taxes". The New York Times (in American English). ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  10. ^ Burke, Jason (2018-01-11). "Tunisia protests: authorities accused of indiscriminate crackdown". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  11. ^ a b c "Protests hit Tunisia for third night as PM warns of clampdown". Reuters. 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Tunisian opposition leader calls for continued protests". Al Jazeera English. 2018-01-09. Archived from the original on 2018-01-09. Retrieved 2020-01-11.
  13. ^ a b Burke, Jason (2018-01-10). "Tunisia rocked by protests over price rises". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  14. ^ Diamond, Larry (2015-03-23). "Tunisia Is Still a Success". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  15. ^ Tharoor, Ishaan (2015-03-18). "Why Tunisia, the Arab Spring's sole success story, suffers from Islamist violence". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  16. ^ Keating, Joshua (2015-01-28). "Why Was Tunisia the Only Arab Spring Country That Turned Out Well?". Slate. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  17. ^ Amara, Tarek. "Tunisian police and rioters clash as job protests grow". AF (in American English). Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  18. ^ "Labour strikes hit several Tunisian regions". Al Jazeera. 2012-12-06. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  19. ^ Amara, Tarek. "Tunisian protester killed in clashes with police over price hikes, unemployment". AF (in American English). Archived from the original on 2018-01-31. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  20. ^ "Tunisia: Anti-Austerity Protests Turn Deadly" (in American English). Archived from the original on 2018-07-01. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  21. ^ Moore, Jack. "Tunisia Synagogue Firebombed as Protests Rock Arab Spring Success Story". Newsweek (in American English). Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  22. ^ "200 Arrested, Dozens Hurt in Fresh Tunisia Unrest". AFP (in American English). Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  23. ^ "Arrests in Tunisia near 800 amid protests" (in American English). Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  24. ^ "More protests expected in Tunisia after mass arrests" (in American English). Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  25. ^ "UN rights office urges Tunisian authorities to ensure freedom of peaceful assembly" (in American English). Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  26. ^ Bouazza, Bouazza Ben. "Tunisian govt hopes that days of food protests are subsiding". Seattle Times (in American English). Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  27. ^ Bouazza, Bouazza Ben. "Tunisia unrest: Arrests, clashes persist amid price rises" (in American English). Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2018-01-14. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  28. ^ "Erdoğan, Essebsi discuss bilateral ties, protests in Tunisia". Hurriyet Daily News (in American English). Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  29. ^ "Security Reminders". US Department of State (in American English). Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  30. ^ Smith-Spark, Laura. "Tunisia protests: Why are people taking to the streets?". CNN (in American English). Archived from the original on 2018-07-11. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  31. ^ "Tunisia hit by new anti-austerity protests". AlternativeAfrika (in American English). Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  32. ^ "Tunisia Hit By New Anti-Austerity Protests". BBC (in American English). Archived from the original on 2018-01-14. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  33. ^ "Mass Protests Against Austerity, Unemployment Shake Tunisia" (in American English). Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  34. ^ "Tunisia: power belongs to the street" (in American English). Retrieved 2018-01-13.
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