Tunisians Take to the Streets in Protest Amidst Crisis and Wildfires

Tunisia continues to burn as, beyond the fires devastating the country, thousands of Tunisians have participated in an angry protest march against the authorities. The protest was launched following the suffocating crisis the country is experiencing, especially in the social and economic spheres, alongside a deterioration in civil rights.

This protest took place concurrently with the 69th anniversary of the declaration of Tunisian independence and the fifth anniversary of the coup against the constitution on July 25, 2021, marking seven years under the rule of President Kais Saied. The demonstrators chanted slogans such as:

"The result of seven years of rule: poverty, injustice, debts, and populist rhetoric."

A local politician, interviewed in Qatar, claimed that political and civil forces participated in the demonstrations to demand change:

"The official discourse, which boasted of promises regarding the environment, wealth to be distributed to Tunisians, public health, and education reform, remains far from reality. Prison sentences have become common and have encompassed everyone — from activists and politicians to trade union members — this cannot continue."

The fires continue

Tunisia has recently been dealing with a heatwave considered extreme even for this desert country. Temperatures are climbing to over 50 degrees, as civil defense units reported being called to more than 600 fires in the last 48 hours — a rate of one fire every 5 minutes.

The extreme weather does not end there. The National Institute of Meteorology reported that temperatures will continue to be 6 to 12 degrees Celsius above average, reaching up to 49 degrees, and added that beyond the extreme heat, thunderstorms accompanied by local rain are also expected.