Pro-Saied demonstrators target influential Tunisian union

Hundreds of President Kais Saied’s supporters gathered outside the UGTT union headquarters Thursday, demanding its suspension after a nationwide transport strike, Reuters reported. The protest marked a new flashpoint in Saied’s campaign against independent institutions in Tunisia, where democratic checks have steadily eroded since he seized sweeping powers in 2021.

Ruling by decree, Saied has dissolved parliament, dismissed judges, and jailed opposition figures. While the UGTT initially backed his takeover, it now accuses him of trying to cement one-man rule.

Union spokesman Sami Tahri blamed the government for orchestrating the protest and said “criminal gangs,” some involving children, had attacked the union. Police kept rival demonstrators apart as union members mounted a counter-rally, vowing to stay “steadfast and independent.”

Last week’s strike, which crippled transport nationwide, reaffirmed the UGTT’s mobilizing power. Rights groups warn that Saied is accelerating efforts to silence dissent and dismantle civil society in North Africa’s once-promising democracy.