Tunisia faced its biggest crisis in a decade of democracy on Monday after President Kais Saied ousted the government and froze the activities of parliament, a move his foes labelled a coup that should be opposed on the street. In a statement late on Sunday, Saied invoked the constitution to dismiss Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and decree a freeze of the parliament for a period of 30 days, saying he would govern alongside a new premier.

The move came after a day of protests against the government and the biggest party in parliament, the moderate Islamist Ennahda, following a spike in Covid-19 cases and growing anger over chronic political dysfunction and economic malaise. It poses the greatest challenge yet to Tunisia after its 2011 revolution that triggered the "Arab spring" and ousted an autocracy in favour of democratic rule, but which failed to deliver sound governance or prosperity.

In the hours after Saied's announcement, huge crowds gathered in his support in Tunis and other cities, cheering, dancing and ululating while the military blocked off the parliament and state television station. Crowds numbering in the tens of thousands backing the president stayed on the streets of Tunis and other cities, with some people setting off fireworks, for hours after his announcement as helicopters circled overhead.

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