More than 200 people have been wounded in a second day of clashes in the Tunisian town of Siliana, medical officials have said.
More than 200 people have been wounded in a second day of clashes in the Tunisian town of Siliana, medical officials have said.Security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters demanding jobs, with reports of people also being treated for gunshot wounds.Trade unions have called for further protests on Thursday.Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring, deposing its long-time president in January 2011.Hunger strike During a brief television appearance on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali rejected protesters’ calls for him to step down, saying: "This governor is not quitting.” The BBC’s Sihem Hassaini in the capital, Tunis, says the unrest in Siliana is the latest in a series of protests by people disappointed by the lack of progress following the revolution.Since the uprising which overthrew Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali unemployment has gone up - and according to official figures stands at about 18%.Siliana residents went on strike on Tuesday, angered that the mayor had failed to create jobs.All offices and businesses in Siliana, which is about 120km (75 miles) south of Tunis, remained closed on Wednesday, as protests continued.According to AFP news agency, several armoured vehicles were deployed as demonstrators blocked roads with barricades and set tyres alight on Wednesday.Trade unions have called for protests to continue.