"A protester wears an oxygen mask and holds a sign in Arabic..."

#12868163

16 October 2025

A protester wears an oxygen mask and holds a sign in Arabic reading ''Gabes without oxygen,'' while another wears a gas mask during a mass protest that brings together thousands of residents in Gabes, Tunisia, on October 15, 2025, to protest and demand the dismantling of the units of the Tunisian Chemical Group (GCT). The mobilization comes after a surge in cases of respiratory problems, poisonings, and illnesses affecting students at a middle school located near the phosphate processing plant, sparking anger among a population exposed to chemical risks for more than fifty years. In 2017, Tunisian authorities promise the gradual dismantling of the polluting units of the Gabes chemical complex following strong protests against pollution. However, this decision is never fully implemented, and the population continues to suffer from massive pollution.

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