"A young protester holds a placard reading in Arabic, ''Gabes..."

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16 October 2025

A young protester holds a placard reading in Arabic, ''Gabes is crying for help, stop the pollution,'' as others hold a large banner reading ''stop pollution'' 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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