Thousands of Tunisians marched through central Tunis on Saturday, October 17, in the largest protest against President Kais Saied in years, denouncing political restrictions, economic hardship and deteriorating public services.
The demonstration was led by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), alongside civil society groups and opposition parties—an unusual show of unity among groups whose divisions have often weakened their challenge to Saied. More than 3,000 people took part, according to an AFP estimate cited by Al Jazeera, though the crowd size could not be independently confirmed. Marchers filled Habib Bourguiba Avenue, a focal point of Tunisia’s 2011 uprising, while hundreds of police officers were deployed and nearby roads closed.
Protesters called for the release of detained government critics and an end to limits on civil liberties and trade union rights. Their demands also reflected frustration with rising costs, failing public services, recurring water and electricity cuts, and shortages of medicine and other essentials. Saied took sweeping powers in 2021, later dissolving parliament and ruling by decree; opponents call his actions a coup, while he rejects accusations of dictatorship and repression.
The rally signals growing pressure on his government, though it remains unclear whether the rare opposition unity will lead to sustained political change.