The night protests were marked by violent confrontations between young people and police resulting in mass arrests and the use of force against the protesters. The government responded with silence, and political parties appeared uninterested in investigating the motives driving youths onto the streets.
Day-time demonstrations have followed to denounce the arbitrary arrests and voice the same social and economic grievances that have not been tackled 10 years after the 2011 revolution.
Sociologist Maher Hanin noted that early signs of the unrest could be seen in the widespread dissatisfaction building up for the past decade, with the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbating the country’s crisis.
Successive governments following the 2011 uprising have been unable to resolve long-standing problems such as a slow-moving economy and high unemployment.
One young rapper and protester, Houssem, talked about police brutality and the growing economic frustration among Tunisians.
Another demonstrator, Siwa, a student, criticised the political class for its dismissive attitude towards the youth arguing that their voices should not be ignored.
