Tunisian Protesters Rally to Mark Five Years of Emergency Rule and Demand Saied’s Resignation

Thousands gathered in Tunis to demand the ‘fall of the regime’ as the country marks five years since President Kais Saied suspended parliament.

Published On 26 Jul 202626 Jul 2026

Thousands of Tunisians gathered in the capital to demand the resignation of President Kais Saied, citing deteriorating economic conditions, democratic erosion, and state mismanagement.

Demonstrators marched down Habib Bourguiba Avenue in central Tunis on Saturday, marking the fifth anniversary of Saied’s declaration of a national emergency—a move that led to the suspension and eventual dissolution of parliament in favor of rule by decree.

This mobilization represents the latest in a series of protests against the crackdown on dissent, a struggling economy, and restrictions on press freedom.

Saied’s critics have accused him of weaponizing emergency measures to dismantle Tunisia’s hard-won democratic transition.

“We took to the streets today to hold the system of governance to account and to expose its failures, because it is our role as political and civil forces,” Wissam Sghaier, spokesperson for the Jomhouri opposition party, told Al Jazeera. “To use popular Tunisian expressions: We are not tenants of this country, we are its owners.”

“If they intend to fabricate cases and accuse us for that reason, then our friends and comrades are welcome in prison,” Sghaier added. “We are ready to pay the price.”

The marchers proceeded from Republic Square toward the Municipal Theatre, carrying flags and banners rejecting the national program Saied refers to as the “July 25 path.”

Protesters chanted for Saied to “leave,” calling for “freedom, work, and national dignity,” while reviving the slogan “the people want the fall of the regime”—the same rallying cry used during the 2011 democratic revolution.

Many participants carried signs demanding the release of political prisoners, who have increasingly populated Tunisia’s prisons since Saied assumed emergency powers.

The protests were organized by Nafas, an umbrella initiative uniting opposition parties and independent figures who oppose Saied’s consolidation of power.

Imed al-Khamiri, spokesperson for Tunisia’s Ennahdha party, told Al Jazeera Arabic that the demonstrations have grown beyond traditional opposition circles to include a wider range of citizens frustrated by the government’s handling of public services and economic instability.

Tunisia’s democratic transition began following the 2011 ousting of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The subsequent years saw the country hold its first free elections and adopt a new constitution designed to guarantee political freedoms.

Much of those democratic gains have since been reversed. Since implementing rule by decree, Saied has dismissed dozens of judges, criminalized certain types of media reporting, and arrested several major opposition leaders.

Among the most high-profile detainees is Rached Ghannouchi, the 85-year-old former parliament speaker and key figure in Tunisia’s earlier reforms. Sentenced in June to life plus 30 years on “terrorism” charges, the elderly politician has reportedly suffered deteriorating health while in custody.

President Saied maintains that his actions are necessary to combat corruption and prevent national chaos, denying that any civil rights or freedoms have been undermined.

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