In Gabes, Tunisia, a general strike led by the UGTT labor union has shuttered shops, markets, schools, and cafes, halting economic activity in the coastal city of nearly 400,000.
Protesters, numbering in the tens of thousands, have taken to the streets, decrying a state-run phosphate processing plant blamed for severe environmental pollution.
The unrest marks one of the biggest challenges for President Kais Saied since he assumed extraordinary powers in 2021.
The Tunisian Chemical Group (CGT) plant, operational since 1972, is accused of releasing radioactive waste and phosphogypsum, damaging marine life and causing health issues.
Over 200 residents have been hospitalized recently for respiratory distress and gas exposure, with locals reporting a surge in cancer and neurological conditions.
A July 2025 audit revealed the plant dumps 14,000-15,000 tons of phosphogypsum daily into the sea, devastating seagrass beds and marine ecosystems.
“The plant has poisoned everything – the trees, the sea, the people,” said local activist Safouan Kbibieh.
Protesters marched through Gabes chanting “Gabes wants to live” and demanding the plant’s closure, while Saied called the situation an “environmental assassination.”
Despite a 2017 pledge to phase out the facility, authorities recently prioritized boosting phosphate production, a key economic driver.
Residents like Amina Mansour, battling throat cancer, and fisherman Sassi Alaya, whose livelihood has collapsed, say the pollution is unbearable.
Authorities have promised urgent measures, including collaboration with Chinese firms to curb emissions, but activists remain skeptical.
The UGTT, led by Sami Al-Tahiri, vows to escalate protests if demands for accountability and environmental justice are not met.