General Strike Paralyzes Tunisian City Over Pollution Crisis
A general strike backed by tens of thousands of protesters has brought the southern Tunisian city of Gabes to a standstill, as residents demand the closure of a state-owned chemical plant blamed for severe environmental pollution.
Shops, markets, and schools were closed on Tuesday as economic activities halted across the coastal city, following a call by Tunisia’s powerful trade union, the UGTT.
Protesters filled the streets of Gabes, carrying banners and chanting slogans calling for the dismantling of the phosphate processing units operated by the state-owned CGT plant. The facility has long been accused of causing widespread pollution that threatens the health and livelihoods of residents.
The demonstrations follow mounting anger over what locals describe as years of neglect, amid rising cases of cancer and respiratory illnesses linked to the plant’s emissions.
Earlier this month, President Kais Saied condemned the situation as an “environmental assassination,” blaming past government policies for the degradation of Gabes’ ecosystem.
Health Minister Mustapha Ferjani announced plans to build a cancer treatment hospital in the city but did not provide a specific timeline.
Although authorities had pledged in 2017 to gradually shut down the plant, officials earlier this year signaled an intention to increase production instead, fueling further outrage.
Environmental groups say the pollution has devastated marine life, with fishermen reporting a sharp decline in fish stocks — a major blow to the region’s economy.
The general strike marks one of the largest environmental protests in Tunisia in recent years, underscoring growing frustration over industrial pollution and its human toll.
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