Tunisian Protesters Flood Streets of Tunis Demanding End to President Kais Saied's Rule

Demonstrators marched to protest Tunisia's President Kais Saied in Tunis on August 20, 2026. [AFP]

Hundreds of protesters gathered in the streets of Tunisia’s capital to demand the ousting of President Kais Saied and the return of democracy. Speaking out on Thursday, demonstrators voiced their opposition to “one-man rule” and “a slide towards dictatorship,” while also calling for the freedom of jailed journalists, activists, and opposition figures.

This latest demonstration follows a previous protest held on July 25, which marked the anniversary of President Saied's 2021 decision to dismiss the government and suspend parliament. He subsequently began ruling by decree later that year and officially dissolved parliament in 2022.

Activist Wissem Sghaier, speaking as a demonstrator at the Thursday march, told the Reuters news agency that the nation is currently “experiencing a complete collapse.”

Citizens across Tunisia are dealing with escalating economic and cost-of-living challenges, marked by worsening public services alongside shortages of essential goods and medicines. Data from the World Bank indicates that Tunisia’s inflation rate stands at 5.2 percent. Furthermore, investment levels have dropped sharply, prompting President Saied’s government to implement various cost-saving actions, such as freezing public sector employment and cutting down on imports.

Recent weeks have seen demonstrations erupt across multiple regions of the country concerning power and water outages as well as environmental issues. These events indicate that public frustration is expanding past political disagreements with President Saied and encompassing the severe difficulties of daily life. Additionally, the nation was impacted by major wildfires during the summer alongside several other North African countries.

Meanwhile, rights organizations report that President Saied has overseen an extensive crackdown directed at independent civil society groups, opposition leaders, activists, and journalists.

President Saied, a 68-year-old independent politician and former constitutional lawyer, secured his election in 2019 through a victory he famously characterized at the time as “like a revolution.” Rejecting financial contributions, his campaign instead depended on a diverse network of Tunisian volunteers and concentrated its message heavily on anti-corruption efforts.

Although he helped draft Tunisia’s 2014 democratic constitution as a legal adviser, President Saied soon began criticizing specific parts of the document. Since taking office, his administration has faced criticism from international rights groups over a series of actions viewed as anti-democratic, including sweeping judicial reforms that granted him unprecedented authority over Tunisia’s courts through a newly established governing body led by himself, alongside mass trials involving political opponents.