TUNIS - Tunisian police arrested 41 more protesters after fresh violent protests against austerity measures in the North African country, the interior ministry said on Monday, bringing the number of arrested to around 850.
Protests which started about a week ago erupted again on Sunday, fuelled by anger at tax and price increases imposed by the government to cut a budget deficit.
A Reuters witness saw youths throwing stones at police cars and setting fire to tires before security forces drove them back with tear gas in the Ettadamen district in Tunis last night. There were also protests in Kram district.
On Monday, the situation was calm.
"The movements (protests) were limited to Ettadamen, Daoura, Hicher and Kram in the capital and in Sidi Bouzid and Feriana," Khelifa Chibani, spokesman of the interior ministry, said. Some protestors had tried to break into a customs building, he added.