Tunisia's Capital Gripped by Largest Protest Against Saied in Years

Thousands of Tunisians demonstrated Saturday in the capital, Tunis, in the largest protest the country has witnessed in years against President Kais Saied, raising demands to improve living conditions and end restrictions on political freedoms.

The march was led by the Tunisian General Labour Union, alongside opposition parties and civil society organizations. France Press reported that the number of participants exceeded 3,000 people, though independent verification of the figure was not possible.

Protesters marched down Habib Bourguiba Street in the heart of the capital, where security forces were deployed in force and several neighboring streets were closed. The crowd included lawyers, doctors, journalists, and the unemployed, as well as activists and party members from multiple political backgrounds.

Demonstrators held signs bearing slogans including "No democracy without freedoms" and "No dignity in poverty," demanding the release of political detainees and an end to restrictions on union rights. The convergence of opposition factions, despite their longstanding divisions that have weakened their capacity to challenge Saied, lent unusual momentum to this gathering.