For the past two weeks, hundreds of residents in Gabes, a city in southern Tunisia, have taken to the streets to protest what they describe as an environmental and health disaster.
On Tuesday, shops and offices remained closed as thousands of workers joined a general strike, calling for the shutdown of a government-owned phosphate plant accused of releasing toxic gases into the air.
According to researchers, some of the plant’s waste contains radioactive material, which poses serious health risks, including cancer.
Opposition to the factory is not new, locals have been fighting its presence for years.
The Tunisian government had promised to close the plant in 2017, but this year reversed its decision, announcing plans to increase production instead.
The ongoing demonstrations, largely led by young people, began two weeks ago in the city of about 400,000 residents.
