Hundreds of young Tunisians rampaged through the southern city of Sidi
Bouzid in the latest anti-government protests against the regime of
President Zein Abedin Bin Ali. The riots were sparked by the protest suicide of a
university student in the city, about 210 kilometers southwest of Tunis.
"There is a large security force in the town and clashes continue
intermittently," a Tunisian source said.
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Opposition sources said more than 400 protesters clashed with Tunisian
security forces since Dec. 18. They said rioters smashed cars and stores
after authorities confiscated the the wares of a street fruit vendor.
This marked the second major bout of rioting in southern Tunisia in
2010. In August, Tunisians employed in neighboring Libya rampaged
through another town and blocked a major highway in protest of travel
restrictions.
The sources said Sidi Bouzid had been undergoing increased tension amid
rising unemployment. They said the jobless rate in the region has reached 14
percent.