Protest in Gafsa, November 27, 2013. Image courtesy ‘Gasfa’ Facebook page

Protesters in the city of Gafsa entered the local governorate building today before setting fire to the offices of two of the ruling parties there.

The events occurred as the major UGTT labor union called general strikes in Gafsa, Siliana, and Gabes. The strikes mark the one-year anniversary of protests in Siliana that were forcibly suppressed by security forces firing birdshot and using teargas.

The anti-government demonstrators broke into the governorate and police fired tear gas to disperse them, according to Hamza Sboui, coordinator of the Gafsa office of the non-governmental watchdog organization IWatch.

Protesters then headed to the offices of the Ennahdha and CPR parties, two of the members of the ruling coalition, Sboui said. They removed furniture from the offices and burned it outside the building, and also caused fire damage to the interiors of the buildings.

There were no physical injuries and the police did not make any arrests, he added.