Hundreds of supporters of Tunisian President Kais Saied rallied outside the headquarters of the powerful UGTT union, urging Saied to suspend the union following a transport strike that paralyzed the country last week.
The protesters chanted slogans like “The people want the union to be suspended!” and accused the union of acting like “union gangs”.
The UGTT responded by accusing the authorities of orchestrating the protest and claimed to be under attack by criminal gangs.
A counter-demonstration by union members was held, with police deployed to prevent clashes.
The UGTT has remained critical of Saied’s concentration of power, and rights groups have warned of Saied’s authoritarian drift since 2021.
