Industrial combined video, assaulted by exasperated pollution locals. “Gabes turned into a city of death”

Dissatisfied locals from the city of Gabes, southern Tunisia, entered the phosphate complex of Tunisian Chemical Group (CGT), owned by the state, demanding its closure to stop the pollution of the environment and respiratory diseases, reports Reuters, taken over by News.ro.

The protest highlights the pressure on the government of President Kais Saied, already affected by a deep economic and financial crisis, to balance the public health requirements with the production of phosphate, the most valuable natural resource of Tunisia.

The protesters entered the complex and chanted slogans asking for its closure and demolition, shows videos posted on social networks and eyewitnesses.

Army soldiers and military vehicles were seen stationing inside the complex, although no clashes were reported. “Gabes has become a city of death, people are struggling to breathe, many inhabitants suffer from cancer or bone fragility due to severe pollution,” Khareddine Dbaya, one of the protesters, told Reuters.

CGT did not respond to Reuters attempts to obtain comments on the situation in Gabes.

🇹🇳🔴à gabès, cet après-midi, des manifestants on the forcer l'cla'cès à l're uşine chimique of transformation of phosphate. L'Armée est intervenue en renfort des forces by the order pour empêcher toute in the site.#Gabes #phosphate pic.twitter.com/vy3dwctojl

– Ifriqiya🇹🇳 (@tunisialphanews) October 11, 2025

President Saied declared last week that in Gabes spent “an assassination on the environment” because of what he called criminal political elections, which led to the spread of diseases and the destruction of local ecosystems. He asked for fast measures and adopting the solutions proposed by young people to solve the current environmental crisis.

In 2017, authorities committed to dismantle the Gabes complex and replace it with an installation that respects international standards, recognizing that its emissions were a danger to the inhabitants of the area. However, the plan has not yet been implemented.

Every day, tons of industrial waste are largely discharged at Chatt Essalam in Gabes. Environment groups warn that marine life has been severely affected, local fishermen reporting a dramatic decrease in fish stocks in the last decade, which has affected a vital source for many in the region.

The last series of protests was triggered this week, after dozens of students suffered respiratory difficulties caused by the toxic smoke from the nearby factory. The videos showed panicked parents and emergency crews who helped the students who were hard to breathe, further fueling public indignation and requests to close the factory.

The government aims to revive the phosphate industry by increasing production five times, up to 14 million tonnes by 2030, to take advantage of the increase in global demand.