Labour MPs and the general secretaries of the UK transport workers' and fire brigades unions, RMT and FBU, have issued a statement denouncing Sebsi's attacks on demonstrators following police violence against demonstrators which led to the death of Mohamed El-Tounsi in south Tunis on Sunday night and raised international fears of the return of a police state in Tunisia.
Labour MPs John McDonnell, Katy Clark, John Cryer and Linda Riordan, as well as the General Secretary of the RMT, Bob Crow, and Fire Brigades Union General Secretary Matt Wrack, have put their names to the following statement:
"We denounce the attacks by the Tunisian government and police against demonstrators, journalists and trade unionists.
On Friday 6 May and Saturday 7 May, on the Avenue Bourguiba in Tunis, the police charged, savagely beat and gassed peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators, concentrating their attacks on journalists and union activists. The demonstration they attacked was demanding transparency from the government about the influence of pro-Ben Ali conspirators and reports of a possible military coup. The newspaper La Presse, which reported on the police violence, had its offices raided by police thugs. During the raid, police officers beat and severely injured the photo-journalist Abdelfattah Belaid.
We support the demands of the UGTT trade union federation for democracy, transparent elections and an end to official corruption. We oppose the shameful, anti-democratic abuses of Sebsi's provisional government. We demand that the government order the police to allow future demonstrations to proceed without police attacks, and lift the curfew."
Contact the Tunisian Prime Minister to register your disgust:
M.Béji Caïd Essebsi
Address : Place du Gouvernement - La Kasbah - Tunis
Post code :1020
Phone :(+216) 71 565 400
e-mail : boc@pm.gov.tn
Fax the Ambassador, Hatem Atallah, at 020 7225 2884
