Tunisia’s economic crisis, made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic, has triggered social unrest in the country. The Middle East Eye reports that authorities have arrested more than 600 people during the recent unrest.

Interior ministry spokesman Khaled Hayouni said that 632 people had been arrested on Monday. He added that they were protestors between the ages of 15 and 25 who had burned tyres and bins to impede security forces. He said that some protestors were arrested for flinging stones at police and clashing with security forces, adding that two policemen had been wounded. However, the Middle East Eye reports that Amnesty International said the majority of those arrested were minors aged between 14 and 15.

Monday night saw protests taking place in several Tunisian cities for a third consecutive night.

MME reports that demonstrators had taken to the streets despite a nationwide four-day Covid-19 lockdown. Further, protests are currently banned in Tunisia due to the coronavirus pandemic, and police have been deployed to enforce a night-time curfew. Defense ministry spokesman Mohamed Zikri, said the army had been deployed in several areas due to the unrest.

Tunisia’s economic crisis has led to escalated tensions as many Tunisians are angered by poor public services which they blame on the post 2011 revolution political class, which they perceive as having failed them. MME reports that the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights recorded 6 500 protests in 2020 alone.

Umm Muhammed Umar