Demonstrators took to the streets late Sunday in the poor neighborhood of Douar Hicher in the capital, Tunis, protesting against poverty, rising prices, and shortages of food items in stores, in a show of increasing pressure on the authorities amid a severe economic and political crisis facing the country. Tunisia is struggling to revive its public finances amidst growing discontent over inflation, which has reached 8.6 percent, and a shortage of many food items in stores, with the country unable to afford enough of some vital imports.
Tunisia is also undergoing a deep political crisis since President Kais Saied took control of the executive authority last year and dissolved the parliament in what his opponents described as a coup, while Saied claimed it was a legal measure to end years of chaos and rampant corruption. In Douar Hicher, some protesters raised bread, while angry youths burned car tires.
In the suburb of Mornag near the capital, young people also protested and burned tires in response to the suicide of a young man who sold fruits, with family members stating that he hanged himself after being harassed by municipal police who confiscated his weighing machine while he was selling fruits on the street, according to Reuters. Riot police deployed tear gas to disperse the protesters in Mornag and chased demonstrators who shouted slogans against the police and threw stones.
The Interior Ministry stated that testimonies suggest the young man committed suicide due to family problems, but it has opened an investigation to clarify the circumstances of the incident. In Douar Hicher, hundreds of protesters, including women and youths, chanted "Jobs, freedom, and national dignity; the prices have ignited a fire," while others shouted, "Where is the sugar?"
The food shortage in Tunisia is worsening, with empty shelves in supermarkets and bakeries increasing public outrage over rising prices among many Tunisians who spend hours searching for sugar, milk, butter, rice, and oil. Videos posted on social media on Sunday showed crowds rushing to grab a kilogram of sugar in stores across the country.
Tunisia, which is facing its worst financial crisis, is seeking a loan from the International Monetary Fund to save its public finances from collapse. The government raised the price of cooking gas cylinders by 14 percent this month for the first time in 12 years, and it also increased fuel prices for the fourth time this year as part of a plan to reduce energy subsidies, a major reform demanded by the IMF.
