Tunisia: Police Use Tear Gas and Batons to Disperse Labor Union Protest · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Police used tear gas and batons to disperse protesters showing support to the Tunisian General Union for Labour (known by its French acronym, UGTT), in the capital Tunis, yesterday (February 25, 2012). The union, which has accused members of the ruling party Ennahdha of defacing its offices, organized the protest.
Protesters, who numbered 3,000 people, raised anti-government slogans like “People want the fall of the government” and “Ennahdha get out.”
Protesters gathering in Habib Bourguiba Avenue, downtown Tunis. Photo shared by @Lechatquirit , via Twitpic
France24 correspondent, David Thomson tweets [fr]:
A #Tunis grosse manif du syndicat UGTT et de la gauche devant le MI pour dire “Dégage Ennahdha”
Author of Le Blog Boukornine describes the situation [fr] on her Facebook page:
Des images dignes d'une guerre au centre-ville… des hordes de policiers dont certains sont cagoulés armés de bâtons et de matraques, lançant du lacrymo.
Une férocité incroyable. Des blessés, des femmes et des enfants transportés en urgence à l'hôpital Charles Nicole… Atmosphère étouffante.. Les affrontements se poursuivent à l'heure qu'il est par les bourreaux de la république qui répriment gratuitement et illégalement une manifestation pacifique autorisée dans cette Tunisie post-révolutionnaire. #ACAB
The protest turned violent when police ordered protesters to leave, but they refused to do so. Sameh B.A writes [fr]:
les flics nous ont demande de partir. l'autorisation de 12 a 14h. ensuite il ont attaque
Activist Araoua Barakat was assaulted by police during February, 25 protest photo shared via twitpic
Several people were injured in Saturday's protest. Emine M'tiraoui, reports [ar] for the collective blog Nawaat:
Journalists assaulted
During yesterday's protest, police physically, and verbally assaulted journalists. Around 10 police assaults on journalists were registered. In a Press release, the National Syndicate for Tunisian journalists, condemned the assaults, and said it is planning to lodge a complaint against the Tunisian Interior Ministry.
Radio Kalima reports [ar] on its Facebook page:
The same radio says [ar] in another report:
Nearly, 14 months after the fall of the regime of strongman Zeine El Abidin Ben Ali, protesters are still being assaulted for raising anti-government slogans, and journalists are still being abused for doing their job.
This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.