Crystal Dike
Clashes broke out on Wednesday in the southern Tunisian city of Gabes during a rally by residents protesting decades of pollution and environmental neglect.
The demonstrators had marched onto the phosphate-processing plant of the state-owned Groupe Chimique Tunisien when police fired tear gas to disperse them, leaving several people injured.
The protests were sparked by a recent gas leak that sent dozens of people, including children, to the hospital with respiratory problems. Although authorities said the incident had been contained, it reignited anger over the long-standing health and environmental impacts linked to the phosphate industry.
Groupe Chimique Tunisien plays a key role in Tunisia’s economy by supplying fertilizer to markets across Europe and Asia. However, in Gabes—where the plant operates near residential areas—locals have long reported high cancer rates, polluted air and water, and damage to marine life.
A government pledge made in 2017 to relocate the facility remains unfulfilled.