Arrests, violent clashes persist amid price rises
TUNIS, Tunisia — Tunisian police arrested 328 people and fired tear gas as protesters hurled rocks and burned tires during further nationwide demonstrations over price rises. European governments warned travelers about the multiday outbreak of unrest in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.
The protests late Wednesday in multiple towns appeared somewhat less violent than previous nights, as heavy security was deployed at key sites to deter rioters.
But the country remains tense. And more demonstrations are planned in the coming days to mark seven years since the ouster of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on Jan. 14, 2011.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khalifa Chibani said Thursday that the 328 arrested overnight are accused of destroying property, looting and theft. That’s in addition to more than 200 arrested earlier this week.
Speaking on Mosaique radio, he said 21 officers were injured in the latest skirmishes. He didn’t give estimates of the number of protesters who were hurt.
Though Tunisia set an example for the region by building a democracy against the odds, many Tunisians, especially in working class provincial towns, now fear the government is slipping back into authoritarian ways.
They also feel neglected and angry over price rises the government says are necessary to improve the long-struggling economy and qualify for foreign aid.
Marches are planned across the country for Sunday to call on the parliament to revise the price rises and mark the socalled Jasmine Revolution, which unleashed uprisings from Egypt to Syria.
Britain, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Belgium this week have warned travelers about the risks of riots with more demonstrations planned around the weekend Arab Spring anniversary.