{"id":28636,"date":"2013-02-16T21:17:00","date_gmt":"2013-02-16T20:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rt.com\/news\/islamist-mass-rally-tunis-393\/"},"modified":"2013-02-16T21:17:00","modified_gmt":"2013-02-16T20:17:00","slug":"tens-of-thousands-rally-in-tunis-to-support-ruling-islamists-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/breaking-news\/tens-of-thousands-rally-in-tunis-to-support-ruling-islamists-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Tens of thousands rally in Tunis to support ruling Islamists (PHOTOS)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Supporters<\/p>\n

Supporters of the Ennahda ruling party wave flags during a demonstration in Tunis February 16, 2013 (Reuters \/ Louafi Larbi)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Tens of thousands of supporters of Tunisia\u2019s ruling Islamist party marched in the capital in support of the government\u2019s legitimacy. The rally follows a series of violent protests ignited by the assassination of a secular politician.<\/p>\n

\u00ad The pro-government supporters took to the streets on a central Tunis boulevard which was the heart of the 2011 uprising which toppled the government of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.<\/p>\n

“God is greatest,”<\/em> and “Supporting Ennahda<\/em> [the ruling party] is a duty,”<\/em> were some of the slogans chanted by the protesters, AFP reports. Others waved banners reading: “For the defense of the Arab-Muslim identity,”<\/em> and “Media of shame and sedition.” Black banners in support of the hardline Salafists were also on display.<\/em><\/p>\n

Those in attendance cast aspersio<\/em>n on secular opposition leader Beji Caid Essebsi. France, the former colonial power often accused of interfering in Tunisia\u2019s politics, was also a target of the crowd\u2019s rage.<\/p>\n

The February 6 assassination of Chokri Belaid, a human rights lawyer and opposition leader, has sparked a political crisis in the country and a string of violent protests in which one police officer was killed.\u00a0 Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali promised to form a non-partisan, technocratic cabinet to run the country until elections could be held, prompting a harsh response within his own party and on the streets.<\/p>\n

“The initiative of the prime minister is a coup against legitimacy, which gave power to Ennahda. That is a coup against the election results,”<\/em> protester Omar Salem told Reuters.<\/p>\n

More than 100,000 reportedly took part in Saturday’s rally, over twice the number who attended Belaid\u2019s funeral, Lotfi Hidouri, a spokesman in the Interior Ministry, told the agency. Security sources put the number at tens of thousands of protesters.<\/p>\n

Islamists had previously launched smaller counter-rallies in response to the public outrage and subsequent protests following Belaid\u2019s murder.<\/p>\n

Jebali, who had promised to resign if he failed to form a new government, said talks on the new administration had been rescheduled for Monday after meeting with leaders from the main opposition parties on Friday. He further said a previous Saturday deadline for the government\u2019s formation had been canceled, with no future date set.<\/p>\n

\"A
A supporter of the Ennahda ruling party holds up a Koran as others shout slogans during a demonstration in Tunis February 16, 2013 (Reuters \/ Anis Mili)<\/small><\/p>\n

\"Protesters
Protesters shout slogans and wave national flags during a demonstration in support of the ruling Ennahda party in Tunis February 16, 2013 (Reuters \/ Zoubeir Souissi)<\/small><\/p>\n

\"A
A supporter of the Ennahda ruling party holds up a Koran as others shout slogans during a demonstration in Tunis February 16, 2013 (Reuters \/ Anis Mili)<\/small><\/p>\n

\"Protesters
Protesters shout slogans and wave the national flag during a demonstration in support of the ruling Ennahda party in Tunis February 16, 2013 (Reuters \/ Zoubeir Souissi)<\/small><\/p>\n

\"Supporters
Supporters of the Ennahda ruling party shout slogans and wave flags during a demonstration in Tunis February 16, 2013 (Reuters \/ Louafi Larbi)<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\n

\"Supporters<\/p>\n

Supporters of the Ennahda ruling party wave flags during a demonstration in Tunis February 16, 2013 (Reuters \/ Louafi Larbi)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Tens of thousands of supporters of Tunisia’s ruling Islamist party marched in the capital in support of the government’s legitimacy. The rally follows a series of violent protests ignited by the assassination of a secular politician.<\/p>\n

­ The pro-government supporters took to the streets on a central Tunis boulevard which was the heart of the 2011 uprising which toppled the government of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.<\/p>\n

“God is greatest,”<\/em> and “Supporting Ennahda<\/em> [the ruling party] is a duty,”<\/em> were some of the slogans chanted by the protesters, AFP reports.  Others waved banners reading: “For the defense of the Arab-Muslim identity,”<\/em> and “Media of shame and sedition.” Black banners in support of the hardline Salafists were also on display.<\/em><\/p>\n

Those in attendance cast aspersio<\/em>n on secular opposition leader Beji Caid Essebsi. France, the former colonial power often accused of interfering in Tunisia’s politics, was also a target of the crowd’s rage.<\/p>\n

The February 6 assassination of Chokri Belaid, a human rights lawyer and opposition leader, has sparked a political crisis in the country and a string of violent protests in which one police officer was killed.   Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali promised to form a non-partisan, technocratic cabinet to run the country until elections could be held, prompting a harsh response within his own party and on the streets.<\/p>\n

“The initiative of the prime minister is a coup against legitimacy, which gave power to Ennahda. That is a coup against the election results,”<\/em> protester Omar Salem told Reuters.<\/p>\n

More than 100,000 reportedly took part in Saturday’s rally, over twice the number who attended Belaid’s funeral, Lotfi Hidouri, a spokesman in the Interior Ministry, told the agency. Security sources put the number at tens of thousands of protesters.<\/p>\n

Islamists had previously launched smaller counter-rallies in response to the public outrage and subsequent protests following Belaid’s murder.<\/p>\n

Jebali, who had promised to resign if he failed to form a new government, said talks on the new administration had been rescheduled for Monday after meeting with leaders from the main opposition parties on Friday. He further said a previous Saturday deadline for the government’s formation had been canceled, with no future date set.<\/p>\n

\"A
A supporter of the Ennahda ruling party holds up a Koran as others shout slogans during a demonstration in Tunis February 16, 2013 (Reuters \/ Anis Mili)<\/small><\/p>\n

\"Protesters
Protesters shout slogans and wave national flags during a demonstration in support of the ruling Ennahda party in Tunis February 16, 2013 (Reuters \/ Zoubeir Souissi)<\/small><\/p>\n

\"A
A supporter of the Ennahda ruling party holds up a Koran as others shout slogans during a demonstration in Tunis February 16, 2013 (Reuters \/ Anis Mili)<\/small><\/p>\n

\"Protesters
Protesters shout slogans and wave the national flag during a demonstration in support of the ruling Ennahda party in Tunis February 16, 2013 (Reuters \/ Zoubeir Souissi)<\/small><\/p>\n

\"Supporters
Supporters of the Ennahda ruling party shout slogans and wave flags during a demonstration in Tunis February 16, 2013 (Reuters \/ Louafi Larbi)<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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