Residents of Gabes, Tunisia, have taken control of the state-run Tunisian Chemical Group’s phosphate complex, demanding its closure due to severe environmental pollution and respiratory illnesses.
The protesters, who entered the facility on Saturday, are calling for the complex’s dismantling, citing the toxic emissions’ devastating impact on their health and livelihoods.
President Kais Saied’s government faces pressure to balance public health demands with the production of phosphate, Tunisia’s most valuable natural resource.
The protest highlights the country’s deepening economic and financial crisis, with environmental groups warning of a catastrophic ecological disaster.
Tons of industrial waste are discharged into Gabes’s Chatt Essalam sea daily, affecting marine life and local fisheries.
The government aims to increase phosphate production fivefold by 2030, but protesters are adamant that their health and environment should take priority.
This unrest comes as Tunisia grapples with multiple challenges, including a struggling economy and growing public discontent.
In a recent statement, President Saied acknowledged the city’s environmental crisis, describing it as an “environmental assassination” caused by past policies.
