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Gallery|Protests

In Pictures: Tunisian troops quell unrest with force

More than 600 people arrested after nights of riots, mostly by young people in working-class districts.

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Tunisian security forces fire tear gas as protesters block a street in the el-Tadamen suburb on the northwestern outskirts of Tunis. [Fethi Belaid/AFP]
By News Agencies
Published On 19 Jan 202119 Jan 2021

Hundreds of youths have clashed with police in cities across Tunisia, throwing stones and petrol bombs in the capital as security forces fired tear gas and water cannon to try to quell the unrest.

Rioting and protests have followed the 10th anniversary of a revolution that brought democracy but few material gains for most Tunisians, with anger growing at chronic joblessness and poor state services.

However, with no clear agenda, political leadership or backing from major parties, it is not clear whether the demonstrations will gain momentum or die down, as many previous rounds of protests have since 2011.

An interior ministry spokesman said on Monday that police detained 632 people on Sunday alone after what it called rioting across the country that included looting and attacks on property. Most of the detainees were aged 15-20, it said.

Tunisian protesters block a street during clashes with security forces in the Ettadhamen area. [Fethi Belaid/AFP]
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Rioting and protests have followed the 10th anniversary of the Tunisian revolution. [Fethi Belaid/AFP]
The clashes rocked several cities across Tunisia, mostly in working-class neighbourhoods. [Mohamed Messara/EPA]
Police used tear gas to disperse protesters in Kasserine, Siliana and other cities, including in the capital, Tunis. [Fethi Belaid/AFP]
The social unrest occurs at a time of severe economic crisis, worsened by the pandemic, that has sparked rapid inflation and high youth unemployment. [Hassene Dridi/AP Photo]
The unrest comes despite a nationwide coronavirus pandemic lockdown declared last Thursday. [Mohamed Messara/EPA]
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Tunisian authorities arrested more than 600 people and deployed troops after consecutive nights of unrest. [Mohamed Messara/EPA]

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