Tunisia: Violent Unrest Continues

In response to continued riots, the Tunisian government has closed all schools and universities indefinitely in an attempt to quell the unrest. Maya Jreibi, a leader of the opposition Progressive Democratic party demanded, “The president should order an end to the firing on protesters, a fight against corruption and a political opening. Two decades of frustration have led to this explosion.” The US State Department recently summoned the Tunisian Ambassador to Washington to express concerns over protests and recent events in Tunisia, and released a statement: “We, again, affirmed our concerns not only about the ongoing violence, the importance of respecting freedom of expression, but also the importance of the availability of information.”