Journalists of the state-owned Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) had protested the appointment of Kamel Ben Younes due to its political nature and his record as a propagandist of the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali regime

The journalists’ union, in coordination with labor unions, has called for a general strike on April 22 to protest what they claim is a politically motivated appointment to the post of the Chief Executive Officer of the state news agency, TAP

The protesters were demanding that the government implement a long overdue deal from 2017 which promised to create jobs in the oil and infrastructure sectors in the region to tackle the issue of unemployment 

Last week, thousands of protesters and Ennahda supporters participated in a rally expressing support for prime minister Hichem Mechichi in his dispute with the president over a recent cabinet reshuffle and new ministerial appointments announced earlier this year

Thousands marched to the Tunisian parliament in Tunis on Tuesday, January 26, demanding change in the political system and opposing state violence

The protests this year began on the 10th anniversary of the resignation of long-time president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali during the Arab Spring protests. The protests were heavily repressed by the police leading to more anger on the streets

In the 10 years since the Arab Spring, while democracy has functioned in Tunisia at a procedural level, it has not met the aspirations of the people, especially the youth

According to the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, the country saw more than 6,500 protests last year alone over the many socio-economic and political issues afflicting the people

The protesters were opposing increasing police brutality and the announcement of fresh lockdown measures on Thursday. Protests took place in at least 10 cities across the country

Blogger Wajdi Mahouechi was reportedly arrested after he criticized the public prosecutor in Tunisia. On November 12,  the Tunis First Instance Court convicted him of all charges and sentenced him to two years in prison along with a fine of 1,000 Tunisian Dinars (USD 300)

The newly proposed bill intends to do away with the requirement of obtaining government licenses to open and operate television and radio channels in the country

Hichem Mechichi’s government won the majority in the parliament although many members expressed reservations with it and voted for it only to avoid early elections