Anti-Nessma Protesters Mostly Ordinary Youth, Not Salafists, Say Locals

The Tunisian and international press has been quick to label Sunday’s anti-Nessma protesters as dangerous, armed Salafists. But as the conflict spread into suburbs of Tunis, the majority of protesters did not fit the description, according to local residents.

Protesters clashed with police outside of Nessma TV headquarters and in the Tunis campus center on Sunday, October 9th, after the popular channel aired the film “Persepolis,” which violates Islamic practices by depicting God with a human form.

Houssem Jaziri, a graduate student and a visibly devout Muslim, recalled the events of the 9th at a stall in front of the El Manar mosque bearing the word “ne9ma” or “niqma” (“curse” in Arabic). He said police chased peaceful protesters from the Nessma premises in Montplaisir and blocked other protesters from the El Manar University Campus mosque, where they were organizing a similar demonstration against Nessma after the Dhuhr, the second prayer of the day.

Police dispersed the crowds around the mosque with tear gas, said Houssem. “They were not Salafists who were protesting, just ‘normal’ people who were angry at the provocation of Nessma TV and felt their religion was attacked. … Police even arrested anyone who looked like a Salafist or was wearing a beard in metro stations.”

In Jebel Lahmar, tension is still in the air. Young men are refusing any contact with local press after the October 9th clashes, and one could feel a mixture of suspicion, anger and frustration. One young man confessed he threw stones at police.

Mohamed, the owner of a Publinet Internet center told Tunisia Live that at least 300 people from the area came out of their houses to defend themselves against police, who were using tear gas, broken glass, stones and rubber bullets against them. “Most of the Jebel Lahmar protesters included youth who have nothing to do with Salafists. Some were delinquent and even drink alcohol,” he added.

Another youth said that tear gas fired in front of the mosque in El Manar reached houses in Jebel Lahmar. “Black” (a pseudonym of young man who preferred to remain anonymous), 22 years old, showed Tunisia Live a surface wound from a rubber bullet in his right abdomen and shoulder that he said he received after being caught in clashes with police.

Around 6:00 pm, women and children came out of their houses because they were inhaling tear gas, said Mohamed. Amid this chaos, people were randomly arrested, including a friend of a young man present in the publinet , who was riding his motorbike home. Locals say that twelve people were injured and eighteen were detained at Bouchoucha barracks.