Protests and Public Order in Tunisia
AAM partnered with Shems FM for a town hall connecting individuals in Sidi Bouzid, birthplace of the Arab Spring, with others in the coastal city of Sfax to discuss the contentious relationship between Tunisia’s security forces and protesters.
Panelists included:
Ousama Ben Thaljeh, representative of the Ministry of the Interior
Mohamed Ali Aroui, Spokesperson for the National Security's General Management
Mokhtar Trifi, Honorary President of the Tunisian League for Human Rights
The fundamental question posed was whether security forces have been using excess force to disperse protesting crowds, and whether or not this infringes on citizens’ civil rights. Many participants who were either victims of police violence or activists for the right to assemble and protest argued yes. State officials, who sat on the panel, argued no – providing explanations for the use of force against protestors who were breaking the law and posed a threat to public safety. When the recent attack on the US embassy was brought up, state officials said that they believed they “avoided a catastrophe, which was bound to happen if the security forces had intervened in more forceful ways, meaning the death toll of protesters could have been much higher than 4 people killed.”
The heated discussion also included numerous phone calls from listeners, as well as comments and questions submitted via Facebook. There was a strong sense from the tone and focus of the discussion that participants felt government security forces were indeed using excess force in dispersing protests, thereby infringing on civil rights. So it came as quite a surprise when, at the end of the town hall, the host read the results of an online poll from Shems FM’s website. A mere 12.27% said the state uses excess force in dealing with protesters, with a remarkable 87.73% saying the state doesn’t use enough.
Check out these powerful images of the attack on the U.S. embassy, taken by AAM colleague Wassim Ben Rhouma.
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