Tunisian Union UGTTÂ mobilised thousands of members and supporters in the capital to protest what they described as a steady erosion of union rights and civic freedoms.
It was one of the largest political demonstrations Tunisia has seen recently, and comes amid a deepening standoff between the UGTT and President Kais Saied.
Last month, a UGTT strike over wages and working conditions disrupted transport services across the country and piled pressure on Saied to deal with a deepening economic crisis.
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In response, hundreds of Saied’s supporters staged a rally outside the UGTT headquarters early this month to urge the president to suspend the union.
Saied assumed sweeping powers in 2021, shut down the elected parliament, started ruling by decree, suspended the Supreme Judicial Council and sacked dozens of judges in a move the opposition described as a coup.
