The demonstration is organized by the National Salvation Front, a coalition of five opposition parties, including the popular Islamist An-Nahda party, and is timed to coincide with the 12th anniversary of the start of the Arab Spring.
A large number of policemen were present on the streets of the city, including those armed with water cannons.
At the same time, a meeting of another opposition party associated with the pre-revolutionary government was held. The organizers of the second march called for a return to the status quo prior to the 2011 Jasmine Revolution. Initially, they planned to hold an action near the presidential palace in Cartago, but did not receive permission.
The current president dissolved the country’s parliament in 2021 and amended the constitution. The low turnout in the December elections for the new legislature, deprived of most powers, amounted to only 8.8% and showed that the country’s citizens accepted the changes without enthusiasm.
The main political forces, including most parties and unions, oppose Syed’s project and many call it an anti-democratic coup.
