Tunsians march to support president’s usurpation of power

By FRANCESCA EBEL
Associated Press

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Thousands of Tunisians protested in Tunis and other cities this weekend in a show of support for President Kais Saied’s consolidation of power. His critics accuse him of a coup. Thousands stood on Tunis’ central thoroughfare Sunday waving the nation’s crimson flag and chanting “The people want the dissolution of parliament!” The president dismissed his prime minister, assumed all executive powers and froze parliament in July, following nationwide anti-government protests. While constitutional lawyers and Saied’s political opponents say his actions are unlawful, the decision has proven widely popular with the Tunisian public.