Tunisian police fired tear gas on Friday to disperse protesters in the capital’s Sejoumi neighbourhood after video of police stripping and beating a young man triggered widespread anger.
The video prompted criticism from political parties and human rights organizations. Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi said the officers involved had been removed from duty and that the unacceptable incident was being investigated.
Late on Friday, witnesses told Reuters protesters blocked roads, burned tires and threw stones at police, and that officers responded with tear gas and chased demonstrators through the streets of Sejoumi.
The protesters shouted slogans against the police and the government.
A decade on from a revolution against poverty, injustice and a police state, Tunisia has made progress towards democracy but its economic problems have worsened, with the country on the verge of bankruptcy and public services in a dire situation.
Human rights activists complain of repeated police abuses like the incident in the capital that was caught on camera.
President Kais Saied expressed his anger in a meeting with prime minister and also met with residents in Sejoumi.
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