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'Eradicate this deadly poison!' - Gabes protesters demand shutdown of Tunisia’s phosphate-processing units

"Demonstrators marched through Gabes in southeastern Tunisia on Saturday, demanding an immediate halt to industrial pollution and the dismantling of phosphate-processing units they blame for decades of environmental and health damage. Footage shows protesters carrying placards reading 'Pollution is not our fate' and 'The people demand the dismantling of the units', while chanting against polluting industrial facilities. The demonstration was held around World Environment Day and continued a long-running campaign by residents calling for cleaner air, safer water and an end to pollution from the state-owned Tunisian Chemical Group complex in the Chott Al-Salam area. "The residents of Gabes have taken to the streets year after year. Our demand is crystal clear and consistent: the dismantling of industrial units that have been functional here for more than half a century, during which these plants have discharged over five million tonnes of phosphogypsum every year," said Firas Al-Nasfi, an environmentalist. "We have endured lethal toxic gases that cause chronic diseases such as cancer, osteoporosis, and respiratory problems. Today, we continue to protest until these units are eliminated and this deadly poison is eradicated," he added. Resident Mouna Bouali described the impact on her family and said people in Gabes wanted protection from diseases they associate with the industrial complex. "I lost my father because of the deadly chemical complex, and my mother has lost her sight and suffers from hepatitis. Today, we stood up, as we did many times before, to demand our basic rights: to live, to breathe clean air, and to have an unpolluted sea," she said. Gabes has witnessed repeated demonstrations over emissions and waste from the phosphate-processing complex. Residents and environmental groups blame the facilities for respiratory illnesses, cancer, damage to fisheries and the destruction of marine ecosystems. A 2025 technical audit found serious breaches of national and international standards at the complex. It said the plant was discharging around 14,000 to 15,000 tonnes of phosphogypsum into the sea and along the coast each day, alongside emissions including ammonia and nitrogen oxides. Tunisian President Kais Saied described the situation in Gabes as an 'environmental assassination' in October 2025 and called for urgent measures to reduce toxic leaks. Protesters have rejected temporary repairs, demanding the permanent closure or relocation of the polluting units. In February, a court rejected an emergency request to halt operations at the fertiliser complex, ruling that there was insufficient technical and scientific evidence to justify an immediate shutdown. Lawyers and environmental groups said they planned to continue their legal challenge. The government is also seeking to revive Tunisia’s phosphate industry and substantially increase production by 2030."