Tunisia’s Gabes city on general strike over factory pollution

The southern Tunisian city of Gabes was brought to a standstill by a general strike and tens of thousands of protesters who supported demands for the closure of a state chemical plant linked to a pollution crisis.

In response to a call made by Tunisia’s largest trade union, the UGTT, the UGTT, shops, markets, and schools in coastal Gabes were forced to close on Tuesday as part of the strike, which temporarily halted economic activity.

The CGT phosphate plant’s environmental pollution, which critics claim now threatens the health of thousands of residents, was condemned by crowds holding banners.

Protesters chanted “Gabes wants to live” and “Dismantle the polluting units” as they marched through the city.

President Kais Saied earlier this month claimed that Gabes had been the victim of an “environmental assassination” as a result of what he termed “criminal policy choices” made by previous governments. He attributed these actions to the spread of cancer, respiratory illness, and the destruction of local ecosystems.

Without giving a timeline, health minister Mustapha Ferjani announced on Monday that the government would build a cancer hospital in Gabes to treat spiking cases.

The Tunisian government made the promise to gradually shut down the factory in 2017. Authorities, however, announced earlier this year that they would instead increase plant production.

Local fishermen report a dramatic decline in fish stocks over the past ten years, which has had a negative impact on a major source of income for many in the area, according to environmental groups.