The Regional Labor Union and the local section of the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH) announced the organization of a regional day of anger, this Thursday, October 16 in Gabès, to protest against the continued deterioration of the environmental situation in the region.
In a joint statement published Tuesday evening, the two organizations affirm that this mobilization aims to challenge the authorities in the face of the multiplication of cases of asphyxiation recorded in areas close to the Tunisian Chemical Group (GCT), notably in Chott Essalem, where new incidents were again reported this Tuesday.
Unions and human rights defenders on the front lines
The initiators of the movement point out the direct responsibility of the GCT in the chronic air pollution which affects the city and its inhabitants. They criticize the group’s management, as well as local and national authorities, for their persistent inaction, and demand the immediate closure of the polluting units.
The signatories believe that this measure should have been taken since the incident of September 9, during which several residents had already suffered from respiratory discomfort following emissions of toxic gases.
This day of anger promises to be a new episode of social protest in the governorate of Gabès, where popular anger has been rising for several weeks. Associations, unions and local elected officials denounce an ecological crisis that has become unsustainable and demand urgent and structural solutions to guarantee residents the right to a healthy environment.
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