Tunisian Residents Protest Chemical Pollution in Gabes

Hundreds of residents in Gabes, southeast Tunisia, protested to demand the closure and removal of chemical factories causing severe environmental pollution ^[1].

The demonstrations highlight a growing conflict between industrial economic activity and the fundamental right to a healthy environment. Residents said that the industrial presence in the city center has become unsustainable for the local population.

Protests occurred between October and November 2025 [2, 3]. Reports indicate that residents took to the streets on Oct. 11 and Nov. 13 of that year to voice their grievances [2, 3]. The protesters focused their demands on the chemical complex, which they said is polluting the surrounding environment ^[4].

Local citizens said that the factories threaten wildlife and marine life in the region ^[4]. Beyond the ecological damage, the community raised alarms regarding the impact of the chemical emissions on public health ^[4]. The proximity of these industrial sites to residential areas has intensified the calls for their complete relocation.

Gabes has long struggled with the balance of its industrial sector and the preservation of its coastal ecosystem. The recent mobilization of hundreds of citizens ^[1] signals a heightened urgency for the Tunisian government to address the environmental degradation in the southeast region.

While the factories provide employment and industrial output, the residents said the cost to their health and the local environment is too high. The protesters said that the only viable solution is the total removal of the chemical plants from the city center ^[3].