A new wave of protests and strikes are taking place in Tunisia one year after the unrest that led to the departure of Ben Ali. This demonstration was held in Redeyef in the southwest., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Strikes, protests hit parts of Tunisia
Wed Jan 18, 2012 1:53AM GMT
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Protesters on a strike in the city of Redeyef in southwestern Tunisia on January 17, 2012
A wave of strikes and protests have hit parts of Tunisia, more than a year after the revolution that ended the decades-long rule of former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in the North African country.
A general strike on Tuesday brought activities to a complete halt in the poor farming town of Siliana in the north of the country. Schools and several roads were closed in the northern region.
The strikers were protesting against the region's high unemployment rate and lack of development.
Similar protests were held in the northwestern city of Jendouba where protesters blocked a major highway and halted the traffic flow. The protesters said that the government had ignored the social and political problems facing the working class.
Tunisian General Labor Union, a national trade union center, also announced on Monday that 35,000 workers from various sectors were scheduled to take part in a general strike on January 25th.
Meanwhile, a group of university students have started a hunger strike in the northern city of Manouba. They are angry at the university's having banned female students from wearing niqab or full-face veil.
Students demand that the ban be removed and an area for prayer be provided inside the campus. University officials have so far refused to respond to the requests.
On Saturday, Tunisians marked the one-year anniversary of Ben Ali's ignominious flight from Tunisia to exile in Saudi Arabia.
Tunisia's first freely-elected government was sworn in, in December 2011. However, the country still faces a soaring unemployment rate and sluggish economic growth.
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