Protesters in Tunisia mark Gaza anniversary, demand end to ties with Israel

Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Tunis on Tuesday, calling for the expulsion of the American ambassador and a law to criminalize normalization with Israel.

Organized by pro-Palestinian advocacy groups, the sit-in coincided with the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Protesters waved Palestinian flags, chanted against U.S. policy, and held placards reading “Stop the genocidal war in Gaza” and “Criminalize normalization if you are sincere.”

Amid a heavy police presence, speakers urged Tunisian lawmakers to cut all ties with Israel. Ahmed Al-Kahlawi, head of the National Authority to Support the Resistance and Oppose Normalization, praised Palestinians for their endurance: “This is a tribute to the Palestinian people themselves who did not surrender, who resisted, sacrificed martyrs, and did not stop resisting. These people are the face of this Arab renaissance.”

Assala Azouzi, from the Joint Action Association for Palestine, said the movement will continue until Tunisia takes firm action: “Our voice is for Gaza, our voice is for Palestine. We will continue to besiege the American embassy and all embassies complicit in the Palestinian tragedy.”

Organizers say the sit-in will continue until authorities pass anti-normalization laws and ensure humanitarian access to Gaza.