Protests that are described as the most violent in at least a decade have continued in Tunisia, claiming the lives of five people with at least six others reported as seriously injured. The protests had spread this past Saturday to the city of Tala, near the border with Algeria.
Police reportedly opened fire on crowds after using water cannons to disperse demonstrators who had set a government building on fire. Protests began on the 18th of December in the town of Sidi Bouzid when a man attempted to commit suicide by lighting himself on fire. The violent demonstrations arelinked to public unrest with the ruling elite, lack of available jobs, and rising prices.
