Tunisia’s youth have turned to Egypt as an example of how to lead their own mass protest and government overthrow.
The group Tunisian Tamarud — or Rebel — has launched a campaign to drive the Islamists from power and bring in a new government, one that doesn’t crack down on individual freedoms or decimate the economy, Reuters reported. The group’s collected 200,000 signatures from those who express dissatisfaction with the political status quo. And they say they’re going to hold mass protests soon, drawing inspiration and direction from the civil uprising that led to the military ouster of Egypt President Mohammed Morsi on Wednesday.
Group members recognize that their 200,000 signatures don’t compare to the 22 million collected by their Egyptian counterparts, Reuters reported. But spokesman Mohamed Bennour said they’re pushing hard for a new constitution, and the government isn’t winning any friends with its conflicting drive for a religious state.
“Tunisia’s young are following in the footsteps of young Egyptians,” Mr. Bennour said, in Reuters. “We are not satisfied with what is happening in the country, from an attack on freedoms to a bad economic and social situation.”
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