Soldiers have deployed in Tunisia’s capital a day after a wave of unrest triggered by unemployment and high food prices spread to the city.
Military vehicles and soldiers on foot were seen Wednesday in Tunis.
On Tuesday, Police broke up a demonstration by artists and actors outside of a theater in Tunis. Organizers say protesters had gathered to condemn an ongoing government crackdown on demonstrations.
Tunisian officials say 21 people have died since the unrest broke out.
Human rights groups said Tuesday the toll may be as high as 35 from the country’s worst civil unrest in decades.
Meanwhile, police in Switzerland said Wednesday they were investigating a failed attempt to set fire to the Tunisian embassy in Bern. Officials said the attack caused minimal damage.
On Monday, the Tunisian government ordered the indefinite closure of all schools and universities. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali called the unrest a “terrorist act,” while also vowing to create tens of thousands of new jobs.
The unrest began in December after a 26-year-old university graduate set himself on fire after police confiscated his produce. Authorities said he was selling without a permit.
Source: www.voanews.com
