What Mobilised Tunisia? Socio-Economic Rights at The Heart of Collective Actions in Tunisia in 2021

Tunisia witnessed a rise in contentions action over the past years, in a context of acute economic contraction exacerbated by the socio-economic effects of Covid-19 pandemic. Socioeconomic grievances and demands, voiced in the 2011 Revolution of “Aish, Hurriyah, Karamah Insaniyah”, came again to the fore. The rising pressure on the currency, delays in payment of salaries for employees of the Environment, Plantation and Gardening company in Kebili and of the Tunisian Company for Engineering and Industrial Construction, and the shortages of some basic goods are few signs of the economic crisis. In addition, President Saied’s decisions since July to suspend parliament, as well as dismiss the Prime Minister, prompted further protests across the country. The visual highlights the saliency of socio-economic grievances and demands in Tunisia from January 1, 2021 till December 31, 2021. What particularly distinguished this wave of protests was the “solidarity protests” held by demonstrators, in support of mobilizations in different cities and by different professional groups. Protests were also persistent and recurring, as almost the majority of demands were not answered nor met with legislative policies. Also, the violent response of the security forces triggered nightly protests of youth, particularly across marginalized neighborhoods.