Translation
3: Articles and Brief Commentary on Riots in the South of Tunisia |
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Source: Campaign for Human Rights in Tunisia Email: chrtunisia@hotmail.com Date Received: February 10, 2000 Note: Yours truly is anything but an expert on Tunisian human rights groups in Europe, the place most of them are based. We'll learn about them together. This one appears to be based in London and was written in English. Several other articles appeared on this subject in French. After giving you the verbatim statement from this English source I will summarize some of the news from the French press on the same subject. Also note that these events took place approximately three weeks ago. The demonstrations took place throughout the country, but apparently especially in the region from Sfax - or more accurately Djebinia, and further south (in the area of Gabes, Medinine as well as further west near Gafsa) They began on February 3 and continued for a whole week and were marked, according to a number of accounts (see Liberation of February 17), by considerable violence and destruction. Sfax, apparently had never seen anything like it. Several reports suggested that while the students did the demonstrating and rioting that their actions enjoyed broad support from on-lookers. Liberation (same date cited) gives a figure of 400 arrested and that most of those involved were youth between the ages of 13-15 years. Unemployment rates in the south tend to be higher than in the Tunis region. Take for example El Hamma where only 2000 people out of a population of 80,000 have jobs, or Gabes where 70% of the unemployed are under 25 years of age. rjp Tunisia- Protests: News Last week, several Tunisian cities witnessed demonstrations and protests in reaction to the high increase in the price of petrol, transport and food products especially bread. News of the exact number of arrests and injuries are still not confirmed. + Zarzis, Jerba and El Hamma: Protests are reported to have begun in the middle of the week, in secondary schools and colleges where students began a strike. When students went out to protest in the streets, the clashed with police. Students were supported by locals, mainly youth, and the protests resulted in damage to police cars and shop windows, as well as a petrol station in Zarzis. The protestors threw stones at the police who used tear gas bombs. Police forces were stationed at the entrances of colleges, and some secondary school students were arrested, and will be brought before court + Gafsa, Guebili: Circulation of the news of protests in other regions, state of anticipation, but on actual protests so far + Beja: Unconfirmed reports of strikes in secondary schools and colleges, clashes with the police and a number of injuries and arrests. |
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