Myndighetene i Tunisia har innført portforbud i hovedstaden Tunis.
A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been called in Tunisia’s capital after rioters demanding action on food prices and unemployment brought their protests to the heart of the city.
The army deployed armoured vehices around Tunis on Wednesday as the government sought to put a lid on the unrest which has left at least 20 people dead across the country.
The Tunisian president sacked Rafik Belhaj Kacem, his interior minister, on Wednesday after he was widely criticised for its ruthless response to the protests.
However, the measures did little to immediately calm the situation as hundreds of protesters hurled stones at police at a key intersection in Tunis. Officers responded with volleys of tear gas, driving the protesters to disperse into adjoining streets. Stores in the area were shuttered.
It was not immediately clear whether there were any injuries or arrests. Two army vehicles were posted at the intersection, which is close to the French embassy.
In another neighbourhood in central Tunis, hundreds of protesters tried to reach the regional governor’s office but were blocked by riot police. And at the main national union headquarters, police surrounded protesters who tried to break out. Tensions also erupted along the edges of the capital.‘Pillaging and atacks’
