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‘UAE misleading public opinion and tarnishing Tunisia’s image’

June 1, 2020 at 1:51 pm

Tunisian lawyers shout slogans during a protest outside the National Bardo Museum in Tunis, Tunisia on September 27, 2019. [Yassine Gaidi – Anadolu Agency]

Social media activists have criticised the UAE for “misleading public opinion” after it aired a report which claimed “popular protests” have been taking place in Tunisia “against widespread unemployment and the absence of basic food commodities”.

The Emirati Al-Ghad channel published claims that seven governorates in Tunisia witnessed protests as a result of the high rates of unemployment, the absence of infrastructure projects, the lack of basic food commodities in stores and inability to distribute essentials to the vulnerable as a result of the lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

It used footage of protesters in the streets, however social media users have claimed that the footage was shot during demonstrations that took place historically and are not related to the current climate in the country.

Activists pointed out that the protesters appeared wearing winter clothes in the report at a time when temperatures are rising in Tunisia.

READ: UAE media launches campaign against Ghannouchi, Ennahda will sue

The activists considered the report “a conspiracy against their country”, while others said that “the Tunisian people are aware of UAE’s desire to destroy their democratic experience and revolution and that they can neither be sold or bought.”

In addition, Tunisian news websites published articles rejecting the report’s content, considering it “a fabrication and falsification of the Tunisian reality”.

Last week it was revealed that media campaigns launched by Emirati, Saudi and Egyptian channels against the head of Ennahda movement and Tunisian Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi have become widespread.

The campaigns were launched in conjunction with calls made by unknown parties to sign a petition to question the affluence of the movement’s leader, under the slogan: “Where did you get your wealth from?”