Protest in Tunis 20th February
23:00 GMT: Clare Solomon: Video – the occupation of Government Square begins.
22:50 GMT: Clare Solomon: Image – the first tent goes up in Government Square occupation.
22:45 GMT: Clare Solomon: Image – A friendly cop clearly on the wrong team in the Tunis Casbah Square occupation.
22:40 GMT: John Rees: Protestors in Casbah say this is the beginning of the ‘real’ revolution in Tunisia.
22:30 GMT: John Rees: Protestors are preventing the Army from leaving Casbah Square again tonight. Protests plan to continue all night. 80 coaches from south Tunisia were prevented from joining the Casbah demo today
21:30 GMT: Clare Solomon: The protestors greet the news that Gaddafi is finished with wild cheers and chants of “Win, win, win, we will win, we will be free including Palestine!”
17:00 GMT: John Rees: Reports of police firing warning shots to disperse the demonstration in Tunis prove untrue – but protestors are blocking the army from leaving the square so that the police will not be free to attack them.
15:30 GMT: John Rees reports: “Smaller local demonstrations now coming up through the Kasbah Tunis to join main protest. A Lawyer at today’s protest in Tunis reports pressure for demonstrations all this week growing in Tunis. ‘We gave the govt a month and they haven’t delivered’
‘The Nova muslim party is not legalised but 30 others have been’ He believes that Nova has minority support but bigger than rest.
Political Prisoner Conference
13:00 GMT John Rees reports:
“The atmosphere at the conference is amazing. There’s over 2,000 people here demanding the release of the remaining 1,000 political prisoners. The energy and determination is incredible.”
“A young Muslim activist has just spoken about how the old political police are still active and a threat to activists. He called for another large demonstration to force the revolution forward and said that people should reject US influence, denouncing Republican John McCain’s visit”
Clare Solomon said:
“‘Victory to the women’ is a popular chant at the Tunis conference for political prisoners. Many of these women have been locked up or in exile for years, many have family still incarcerated but they are now hopeful about their position in society.”
“The whole crowd is crying chanting “the people are great” and “God is Great”. People on their feet raising clenched fists and victory signs. It’s hard not to feel emotional. We’re all crying but smiling too.”
