Amidst a heavy security presence, a demonstration against President Kais Saied began on Sunday in the capital, Tunis, and a party affiliated with the pre-revolutionary regime organized a separate demonstration against the president as well.
Yesterday, former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki called on the Tunisian people to come out and participate in the popular demonstration called by the "Citizens Against the Coup" initiative and the "National Salvation Front".
Saied's opponents demand an end to what they described as the coup, a reversal of the exceptional measures, and the resumption of the democratic process in the country.
The protesters also accused the Tunisian president of dismantling all constitutional institutions and seeking to build an authoritarian individual regime, as they described it.
According to Anadolu Agency, thousands of people gathered in front of the Municipal Theater on Habib Bourguiba Street in the center of the capital, in light of an intense security presence on the capital's main street and the nearby entrances leading to it, and all those passing through the street were searched.
The protesters announced their rejection of the most prominent decisions taken by President Kais Saied (French)
Rejection of the referendum
On the sidelines of the stand, Najib Chebbi, who is considered the fiercest opponent of the pre-revolution era, said in a speech to the protesters, "The Tunisians refuse to change the electoral body, and they are here to reject the referendum of (President Qais) Said."
And last week, Saeed said that the presidential decree related to dialogue will be issued soon, despite the lack of desire for it (from unspecified parties) and the fear of a dialogue that will result from the referendum.
The Tunisian president also announced that this dialogue "will not be like the previous dialogues, and it will be open to those who sincerely engaged in the correction movement that began last July 25, and it will not be open to those who sold themselves and those who have no patriotism and those who sabotaged and starved the people and abused them."
Part of the protesters gathered in front of the Municipal Theater on Habib Bourguiba Street in the center of the capital (Reuters)
The departure of the coup
In the same demonstration, the leader of the Ennahda movement, Mr. Ferjani, called for "the departure of the coup and his family, since it took place in Tunisia, Tunisia has not seen any good, and the citizen's problem has become today in obtaining flour and oil and getting his wages in a timely manner."
"It has become clear that the street supports a return to the democratic path," said Samira al-Shawashi, deputy speaker of the dissolved parliament, who accuses Saeed, as his other opponents accuse him of leading a political coup.
Meanwhile, hundreds of supporters of the Free Constitutional Party led by Abeer Moussa - affiliated with the regime of the late President Zine El-Adine Ben Ali - organized a separate protest against Said as well.
Since last July 25, Tunisia has been experiencing a severe political crisis following exceptional measures that Saied began to impose, including the dissolution of parliament, the abolition of the constitutionality monitoring body, the issuance of legislation by presidential decrees, and the dissolution of the Supreme Judicial Council.
Tunisian forces consider these measures a coup against the constitution, while other forces see what they call a correction to the course of the 2011 revolution, but Saeed says that his measures are measures within the framework of the constitution to protect the state from imminent danger, stressing not to prejudice freedoms and rights.