Tunisia deploys army in several cities as protests intensify

TUNIS: Over 300 protesters were arrested overnight as a third night of unrest has shaken parts of Tunisia in violent demonstrations over prices, taxes and unemployment that have swept the country.

The army was deployed in several cities including Sousse, Kebeli and Bizert to protect government buildings that have become a target for protesters.

Police arrested 330 people on Wednesday for theft, looting, arson and blocking roads, the Interior Ministry said, after arresting 237 the previous day.

“Three hundred and thirty people involved in acts of sabotage and robbery were arrested last night,” Ministry Spokesman Khalifa Chibani said bringing the number of detainees since the protests began to around 600.

Chibani however said the “violence” was less intense than in previous days.

Twenty-one members of the security forces were injured, Chibani said. There was no immediate toll available for any casualties among the protesters.

In Thala, near the Algerian border, troops were sent in after protesters burned down the national security building forcing police to retreat from the town, witnesses told Reuters.

Violent anti-government protests have raged in other towns in the North African country since Monday, among them the tourist resort of Sousse, against price and tax rises imposed by government to cut a ballooning deficit and satisfy international lenders.

While Tunisia is widely seen as the only democratic success story among “Arab Spring” nations, it has also had nine governments since the overthrow of authoritarian leader Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, none of which have been able to deal with growing economic problems.

Uprisings in 2011 and two major militant attacks in 2015 damaged foreign investment and tourism, which accounts for eight percent of Tunisia’s economic activity.