GABES, Tunisia: Hundreds of people in southern Tunisia’s Gabes on Friday protested to demand dismantling a local phosphate processing plant after reports of respiratory distress among residents.
Demonstrators called for the “dismantling of the chemical group,” chanting “We want to live” and “Gabes is a victim of pollution and injustice.”
Local campaign group Stop Pollution called for the protest after videos circulated on social media showing local schoolchildren struggling to breathe in a classroom.
The footage, which AFP could not independently verify, showed civil protection officers and worried parents rushing to assist the students.
Last month, local reports said some 20 people had been hospitalized with respiratory problems as the plant is accused of spewing toxic waste into the sea and air.
