“Tunisia is bleeding”: Thousands from rival parties protest against president

Two rival Tunisian opposition groups staged one of the biggest days of protest so far against President Kais Saied on Saturday. They denounced his moves to consolidate political power as public anger grows over fuel and food shortages, with Tunisians struggling to make ends meet as a crisis in state finances has contributed to shortages of goods.

Thousands of supporters from the Islamist Ennahda party and the Free Constitutional Party held parallel rallies in adjacent areas of the capital Tunis, accusing Saied of economic mismanagement and of an anti-democratic coup.

“I came today to defend my country and to defend our rights. Tunisia is bleeding,” local citizen and Free Destorian Party supporter Henda Ben Ali said. “You have to wait for hours to buy petrol, what is this system?”

Saied's opponents say his actions have undermined the democracy secured through a 2011 revolution that ousted autocratic leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and triggered the Arab spring. Ennahda and the Free Constitutional Party have long been bitter foes, but both are now more focused on their struggle against Saied.

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