2026 Tunisia Protests

2026 Tunis Protests are demonstrations and marches held in Tunisia in October 2026 against the administration of President Kays Said, in response to the economic crisis, disruptions in public services, and restrictions on political freedoms. The largest of these protests was a national march held in the capital Tunis on 17 October 2026, called by nine civil society organizations under the leadership of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT).^【1】 The march has been described as the largest protest against Said in years.^【2】 Demonstrators demanded the release of detained opposition figures and an end to restrictions on trade union rights.^【3】

Following the march, clashes erupted between demonstrators and security forces on 21–22 October 2026 in the Tunis suburb of Tadamun (Ettadhamen) and in the towns of Cebiniana and Akarib, both in the Sfax governorate, after it was reported that two young people had died during or following security force interventions.^【4】 During the same period, a military court sentenced opposition politician Olfa Hamdi to four years in prison.^【5】

President Kays Said suspended parliamentary activities on 25 July 2021, subsequently dissolved parliament, and implemented exceptional governance measures. During this period, a new constitution was approved by referendum and early parliamentary elections were held. While some political circles in Tunisia view Said’s actions as an entrenchment of autocratic rule, others defend them as a return to the goals of the 2011 revolution and a correction of the political system. Said, who will serve a second presidential term until October 2029, maintains that his measures were necessary and lawful to prevent state collapse.^【6】

Said dissolved parliament in 2021 and 2022, dismissed dozens of judges, and assumed governance by decree. Human rights organizations have accused Said of intensifying pressure on civil society, journalists, and opposition representatives. Said rejects these claims, denies being a dictator, and accuses his opponents of fabricating economic crises to incite social unrest.^【7】

According to a Human Rights Watch information note published on 4 September 2026, a Tunisian court handed down prison sentences ranging from four to 66 years to 37 individuals, including lawyers, academics, journalists, and opposition figures, in a case known as the “conspiracy trial.” According to the same note, journalists Murad Zeğidi, Burhan Bsaies, and Ziyad el-Heni are currently imprisoned.^【8】 In a joint letter issued by civil society organizations including Human Rights Watch on 25 August 2026, it was stated that 34 political and public figures had been convicted in the conspiracy case during the appeal stage in November 2025.^【9】

Amnesty International announced that on 3 September 2026, the Court of Cassation upheld the convictions in the conspiracy case, noted that some defendants had begun hunger strikes in protest against their detention conditions and isolation, and confirmed that human rights lawyer Ayaşi Hammami had been transferred from a distant location to the Monastir Prison.^【10】

Decree No. 54 on cybercrime is a regulation criticized by human rights organizations for its impact on freedom of expression. Following an amendment published in the Official Gazette on 30 September 2026, the maximum prison sentence of five years for spreading “false news” was abolished and replaced with a fine of 10,000 to 20,000 Tunisian dinars. In the case of repetition, the penalty is six months in prison and a fine of 50,000 dinars.^【11】

According to data from the Tunisian National Institute of Statistics (INS), the country’s economy grew by 2.4 percent in the first half of 2026.^【12】 This figure fell short of the government’s target of 3.3 percent. During the summer of 2026, Tunisia experienced shortages of basic food items such as rice, sugar, and tea, as well as bottled drinking water. Tunisian authorities linked the supply problems to speculation, hoarding, and market manipulation; the Said administration argued that some shortages were the result of speculative actions by actors aiming to provoke a crisis for political purposes.^【13】

According to INS data for the second quarter of 2026, the overall unemployment rate stood at 14.9 percent, rising to 26.6 percent among university graduates and 35.4 percent among those aged 15–24. Unemployment among female university graduates was recorded at 35.6 percent, compared to 14.2 percent for men. The World Bank forecast in September 2026 that Tunisia’s economy would grow by 2.3 percent for the year. In summer 2026, extreme heat coincided with power outages and water shortages.^【14】

Implementation of Law No. 38 of 2022, which aimed to employ long-term unemployed university graduates in the public sector, has been halted due to financial constraints. Law No. 18 of 22 December 2025 provides for the phased employment of graduates within a period not exceeding three years.^【15】 On 5 October 2026, Said met with Prime Minister Sara Zafrani Zenzri and Minister of Employment and Vocational Training Riyad Şavad to assess the implementation of this law, noted that past hiring had involved fake diplomas or unqualified candidates, and called for moving beyond “false polemics.”^【16】

On 20 August, a demonstration was held in the capital Tunis due to rising prices and shortages of essential goods. In September 2026, a federation affiliated with the UGTT organized a two-day strike by fuel transport workers over wages and working conditions.^【17】

The UGTT National Administrative Commission, chaired by General Secretary Selahaddin es-Salmi, met on 9 September 2026, demanded the release of detained unionists and the reinstatement of those dismissed from their posts, and reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the decision taken at the UGTT’s 26th Ordinary Congress to call a general strike. The Commission tasked the national executive office with preparing a step-by-step action plan leading to the strike.^【18】

27 September 2026 saw the launch of a “March of Honour” covering approximately 300 kilometers from Menzil Buzayyan toward the capital. According to organizers, the march began with 23 people and later attracted more than 120 participants, according to the coordination committee. The group was stopped by police on 6 October in Burc Sedriye, southern Tunisia. Participants reported being told they could travel individually but not as a group.^【15】

The call for the march was announced on 29 September 2026 following a coordination meeting at the UGTT headquarters.^【19】 The nine organizations calling for the march are:^【20】

• Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT),
• National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT),
• National Bar Association of Tunisian Lawyers (ONAT),
• Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH),
• Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES),
• General Union of Tunisian Students (UGET),
• Organization of Tunisian Young Doctors (OTJM),
• Association of Tunisian Democratic Women (ATFD),
• Union of Unemployed Graduates (UDC).

While nine civil society organizations called for the march, eight political parties also announced their participation. The march was planned under the slogan “Tunisia First, the People Above All.”^【21】 The Tunisian local press also reported the slogan as “Work, Freedom, National Dignity.”^【22】

UGTT Deputy General Secretary Osman Celluli stated on 10 October that the march would be “national, civil, and peaceful.” UGTT General Secretary Selahaddin es-Salmi described the march on the same day as “the first step of a civil and social front,” emphasizing that the coordination was not a political entity and that parties could participate. The organizers’ demands included purchasing power, employment, public services, press and expression freedom, the right to organize and peacefully assemble, and judicial independence.^【23】

At a meeting with regional union representatives in early October 2026, Salmi stated that a general strike had become necessary to defend national institutions and indicated that the strike date would be announced when the time was right.^【24】

Demonstrators were called to gather at Muhammed Ali Hammi Square, in front of the UGTT headquarters, at 11:00 on Saturday, 17 October 2026. Thousands were already present more than an hour before the scheduled time, and students joined the march from midday onward.^【25】 The march proceeded along Habib Bourguiba Avenue.^【23】 The crowd gathered in front of the Tunis Municipal Theatre.^【26】

In addition to union members, participants included lawyers, doctors, journalists, the unemployed, activists, and members of parties across the political spectrum.^【17】

Different figures have been reported regarding the number of participants:

• AFP news agency reported that more than 3,000 people participated, though the total number has not been independently verified.^【17】
• Tunis-based Business News, relying on eyewitness accounts, estimated approximately 6,000 demonstrators and described the demonstration as the largest since 2021.^【27】
• Le Courrier de l’Atlas reported that participation, according to the highest estimates, ranged between 3,000 and 3,500 people.^【28】
• TSA Algérie gave a participation estimate of 3,000 to 6,000 people.^【29】
• Reuters and other sources used the term “thousands.”^【7】

Demonstrators demanded the release of Said’s critics and an end to what they described as attacks on trade union rights. Some carried banners addressing unemployment and environmental pollution.^【7】

Demonstrators also labeled Said’s administration as a “hyper-presidency,” criticized the rejection of political and social dialogue, and called for judicial independence and the release of political prisoners.^【30】 Complaints raised during the protests included political detainees, declining purchasing power, water shortages, power outages during summer months, and pollution in Gabes.^【27】

UGTT General Secretary Selahaddin es-Salmi, in his speech at the march, criticized the concentration of political power in the presidency^【17】 and declared, “Silence is no longer acceptable… A state cannot be built with all powers concentrated in one person.”^【7】 Salmi also stated, “Tunisia’s current crisis is fundamentally the result of one person holding all powers.”^【31】

In his address, Salmi called out to demonstrators, “Tunisia is calling you today,” and urged “unity of ranks.” Salmi insisted that the coordination among unions, civil, professional, and human rights organizations must not be limited to a single march, accused judicial proceedings of being used to eliminate opponents, and condemned detention practices.

Salmi highlighted the empty status of the High Judicial Council, the concentration of its powers in the Ministry of Justice, and the absence of the Constitutional Court. He also raised concerns about declining purchasing power, unemployment, medicine shortages, hospital debts, and the weakening of social funds. Salmi called for transparency regarding strategic agreements, particularly those linked to migration, and rejected the idea of Tunisia serving as “a border guard for others.”^【32】

Boubaker Bethabet, President of the National Bar Association of Tunisian Lawyers, stated that civil society organizations had united today to defend the rights of citizens to live with dignity and work freely, as guaranteed by international treaties and the constitution.^【33】 Bethabet noted that crises across various sectors had intensified to a level threatening the stability of the country’s public services.^【34】

Hundreds of police officers were deployed across the capital during the march.^【7】 Some roads surrounding the city center were closed to traffic.^【17】 The march proceeded largely without significant incidents.^【30】 According to Business News, police were discreetly positioned along the march route but blocked access to Habib Bourguiba Avenue at the end of the demonstration, preventing latecomers from joining.^【27】 Le Courrier de l’Atlas reported that the UGTT General Secretary was removed from the area by security personnel after a bottle was thrown at him.^【35】

Following the death of 25-year-old Avn Salhi in the town of Cebiniana, part of the Sfax governorate, a large crowd gathered outside the local hospital on the evening of 21 October 2026 demanding an explanation. Reports indicated street clashes with security forces and burning of tires. According to local witnesses, Salhi died during a police pursuit on the road connecting Ceibiana to El Hanşa, though this claim has not yet been officially confirmed. Clashes between demonstrators and security forces resumed on 22 October, with witnesses reporting the use of tear gas to disperse crowds. No official statement was issued at the time of the report.^【36】

According to the Tunisian press, demonstrators in Ceibiana set fire to a vehicle and burned tires, while police used tear gas.^【37】 Reuters reported that Salhi’s relatives said he was killed during a police pursuit and also noted similar clashes occurred in the Sfax governorate town of Akarib.^【38】

Aryane-dependent settlement of Tadamun saw clashes on 22 October 2026, the day after a young man died following a security intervention. Local residents blocked roads and burned tires. The deceased was reportedly detained on suspicion of drug dealing. His family claimed he died due to violence inflicted by police after arrest and demanded an investigation and accountability. Local media reported he died after ingesting drugs. Demonstrators blocked roads, burned tires, and threw stones at police. Security forces responded with tear gas while attempting to secure a local National Guard barracks. No official statement was issued initially by the Ministry of Interior.^{【39】 【38】}

In Sfax, students held a protest on 22 October following the death of a female student who suffered a cardiac condition. Her friends alleged that the ambulance arrived too late and drew attention to inadequate medical facilities, calling for a strike at Sfax universities on Friday, 23 October.^【38】

A Tunisian military court sentenced Olfa Hamdi, leader of the Third Republic Party, to four years in prison on 21 October 2026 on charges of conspiring against state security and inciting the military to disobedience. According to her lawyer Akram Musa, the sentence consists of two separate two-year prison terms and a total fine of 80,000 dinars. Hamdi, who holds U.S. citizenship and previously served as CEO of the national airline Tunisair, was arrested upon landing at the country’s main airport in February 2026. In a separate case in March 2026, she was also sentenced to two years in prison.^【40】

Amnesty International, in a statement issued on 21 October 2026, stated, “Tunisian authorities must immediately overturn these unjust convictions and release everyone detained solely for exercising their human rights.”^【41】

The U.S.-based Human Rights Research Center (HRRC), in a statement issued on 22 October 2026, expressed concern over reports of deprivation of fundamental rights and judicial independence in Tunisia. “We call on Tunisian authorities to protect the human rights and freedom of expression of peaceful demonstrators and ensure due legal processes for all political detainees,” the statement read.^【42】

Civil society organizations including Human Rights Watch urged member and observer states ahead of the 63rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council held between 7 September and 9 October 2026 to express deep concern over the erosion of the rule of law in Tunisia.^【43】

Students in Sfax called for a strike at universities in the city on 23 October 2026 following the protest on 22 October.^【38】 The UGTT announced it would hold an evaluation meeting to assess the 17 October march and determine next steps.^【44】 No date has yet been set for the general strike, a decision reaffirmed by the UGTT National Administrative Commission in September 2026.^【45】