In the Tunisian city of Gabès, hundreds of residents protested the Tunisian Chemical Group’s phosphate complex, demanding its closure due to severe environmental pollution and rising respiratory illnesses. The demonstrations escalated after videos showed local children in respiratory distress, leading protesters to storm the company headquarters. Police responded with tear gas, causing clashes that saw protesters chased through the streets, and a branch office was reportedly set on fire. Activists have demanded the dismantling of the complex, rejecting President Kais Saied's move to send monitoring commissions. The long-standing pollution, which has devastated marine life and local fishing, places pressure on the government to fulfil a 2017 promise to replace the complex, balancing public health with the vital revenue from Tunisia's most valuable natural resource, phosphate.
