Powerful Tunisian trade union defies president with mass protests
TAREK AMARA THOUSANDS of members of Tunisia's powerful UGTT trade union took to the streets of eight cities to protest against President Kais Saied's policies, accusing him of trying to stifle basic freedoms including union rights. The protests in eight cities marked an escalation in the union's confrontation with Saied and followed its criticism of the recent arrests of several anti-government figures including politicians, a journalist, two judges and a senior UGTT official. The coordinated arrests have raised fears of a wider crackdown on dissent and prompted the U.N. Human Rights Office to call for the detainees' immediate release. In Saturday's demonstrations, thousands of…