Tunis: Police involved in demonstrations against the government

Mohamed Ghannouchi, Prime Minister's national unity government of Tunisia, has received several ministers on Saturday morning, the day after his commitment to leave politics after the next election. This promise is to soothe the anger of some of the people, furious at the presence within the new leadership of former members of the Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD) party Zine Ben Ali, forced by Street leave the country after 23 years of unchallenged power.

Meanwhile, several hundred people marched in downtown Tunis to demand the resignation of the government. Police officers who were demonstrating in front of uniformed and civilian head of the government blocked an access time of building the car of Tunisian President transitional Fouad Mebazaa, before being gently removed by other officers on duty.

The group of police protesters joined another group protesters, mostly employees of city hall to demand better working conditions and the departure of the government. Tunisians appear daily for the resignation of the national unity government formed on Monday, three days after the flight to Saudi Arabia of ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Friday, for the first time, police had joined the demonstrations in Tunis and in several provincial towns. There were many Saturday parade in downtown Tunis, sporting a red armband. "We also have for years been victims of arbitrary Ben Ali," said a young policeman. "Today, our life is threatened, people take us for killers.

The people want revenge, but we are here to ensure his safety," he added. He also asked, as did the day before police in several cities in Tunisia, the creation of a union to defend the rights of the profession. The Tunisian population openly expressed his hostility toward the police, privileged instrument of the power of Ben Ali, who became famous in the bloody suppression of the "jasmine revolution", which left 100 dead in one month by UN.

"I beg your forgiveness and I hope you will forgive us", declared Friday a policeman in uniform, Naim Selmi, cheered by the crowd gathered outside the official seat of the Prime Minister, Kasbah, Tunis.

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