Tunisia Fires Tear Gas at Protestors

Cops in Tunisia today fired tear gas and used truncheons to break up an assembly of protestors outside Interior Ministry headquarters in Tunis. The mob called for a shutdown of the caretaker government and vigorous prosecution of supporters of ex-president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, who was forced out of office in January, reports Reuters.

Thousands of residents also took to the streets in other cities across the North African country in the largest numbers since the uprising that paved the way early this year for similar protests across the Middle East. Many believe Ben Ali—who fled to Saudi Arabia—should be punished the way former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has. "Look at Egypt. Mubarak is up before the court together with his sons and the symbols of his regime," said one protestor. "Why is it that in Tunisia, the source of the revolution, these things don't work?" Another protestor made a more pointed suggestion. "We need a new revolution... Nothing has changed," he said. "This government should leave right now." (More Tunisia stories.)