GABES, Tunisia — GABES, Tunisia (AP) — Police fired tear gas at crowds and injured several demonstrators and riot police in the southern Tunisia town of Gabès as thousands marched Wednesday to protest worsening air pollution from a phosphate refinery.
The protest grew into clashes with police who tried to disperse protesters who were trying to get to the plant in the industrial complex, which is a military zone. Gabes, home to more than 400,000 inhabitants, is at the center of Tunisia's phosphate industry, one of the North African country's key sources of export earnings.
Wednesday's protests were the latest following a gas leak near the state-owned Tunis Chemical Group industrial complex. The leak has sent dozens of residents, including children, to hospital in recent weeks, according to environmental activist group Stop Pollution.
The leak has reignited long-simmering anger in the coastal city, where residents blame more than five decades of industrial activity for rising rates of cancer, respiratory illnesses and the destruction of the region's once thriving and unique ecosystem.
By late Wednesday, plumes of tear gas, burning tires and trash cans filled the streets, while protesters blocked major roads and chanted against what they called “environmental crimes.” Many demanded the dissolution of GCT and the closure of its phosphate divisions, blaming them for the slow poisoning of Gabes.
The city's chemical complex processes raw phosphate into fertilizer. This process resulted in toxic waste being dumped directly into the Gulf of Gabes for decades. Environmental groups say the pollution has destroyed marine life, turned the waters dark and put generations of fishermen out of work.
Successive Tunisian governments have promised to move or modernize the plant, but environmental activists say those promises have repeatedly gone unfulfilled.
Tunisia's National Agricultural Observatory has repeatedly warned that air quality in some parts of Gabes exceeds limits set by the World Health Organization. Environmental experts have repeatedly noted persistent high levels of sulfur dioxide and ammonia in the atmosphere, pollutants known to cause respiratory damage and contribute to acid rain.
“Our whole lives are ruined by the smells and smoke we breathe in every day,” said Hanen, 30, who declined to give her last name for fear of retaliation.
She told The Associated Press on the sidelines of Wednesday's protest that tensions had escalated in recent weeks after a new gas leak sparked a wave of public panic.
“They refused to tell us why people got sick, even children were hospitalized and some developed paralysis,” she said. “They ignored our concerns and called us liars, and that made people angry… We want this complex to be dismantled and we won't stop until that happens.”
In an environmental audit conducted in July 2025, GCT acknowledged “serious inconsistencies” in its operations, citing excessive emissions of ammonia and other emissions that did not meet global environmental standards. Despite recognition from the company, the government and even Tunisian President Kais Said, residents say no visible action has been taken.
Earlier this week, Saeed said in a statement that he had ordered the urgent formation of a joint commission to address the protesters' demands.
“Serious failures in maintenance and testing were discovered that led to gas leaks. There will be no tolerance for those who neglected their responsibilities,” Saeed said. “The residents of Gabes will receive their full rights.”
