Tunisians protest Saied’s rule on republic anniversary

Tunisians marched in Tunis on Friday to protest President Kais Saied’s authoritarian turn, marking the fourth anniversary of his 2021 power grab, according to the Associated Press. Demonstrators chanted “power to the people” and carried portraits of jailed opposition figures, including Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi and Free Destourian Party head Abir Moussi.

On July 25, 2021, Saied suspended parliament, dismissed the government, and began ruling by decree—moves critics call a coup. Protesters also marked the day Tunisia declared itself a republic in 1957, now co-opted by Saied’s supporters as a symbol of his consolidation of power.

Activists, journalists, and lawyers have since been jailed on state security charges, with human rights groups accusing the government of suppressing dissent. “July 25 used to mark the Republic’s founding. Now it marks its dismantling,” said former minister Samir Dilou. The protests unfolded amid a deepening economic crisis and growing public frustration with Tunisia’s political direction.