Protests against police brutality spread across Tunisian capital

Protesters block roads, burn tyres and clash with police in Ettadhamen and Intilaka neighbourhoods of Tunis.

Protests against police abuse in the Tunisian capital have spread to several other working-class districts more than a week after violence broke out in the Sidi Hassine neighbourhood over the death of a man in police custody. The protesters gathered in Ettadhamen and Intilaka – among the capital’s poorest districts – late on Wednesday, blocked roads, burned tyres and threw stones at police, as officers chased demonstrators and fired tear gas. Last week, a video of police stripping and beating a young man shared on social media triggered widespread anger among the public. A few days later the death of a man in police custody sparked protests in Sidi Hassine, in the outskirts of Tunis.