 For more videos on people's struggles, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. Tunisia is undergoing its biggest political upheaval since the revolution in 2011. On Monday, July 27, Tunisia's President Kais Said fired Prime Minister Hisham Mishishi and suspended the Tunisian parliament. The president also revoked the immunity of members of parliament. He will also take over the presidency of the executive authority with assistance of a new prime minister. The move has been widely condemned by progressive sections as an attack on democracy. The president took these actions amid protests over the government's failure to control the COVID-19 pandemic. This wave of protests has managed to garner support of hundreds of thousands of Tunisians. People have been mobilizing across the country, accusing the government of worsening social, economic, and health conditions. The main triggering point has been the government's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, but people also rallied against the government and the ruling Anakhda party for not being able to stabilize and improve the country's economy even 10 years since the revolution. The revolution, which was the starting point of the Arab Spring, ousted former Tunisian dictator Zin al-Abideen Ben Ali. In Tunis, the protests have been met with heavy repression. The police attacked protesters with pepper spray who in turn pelted stones at the police while shouting slogans and demanding the government step down, parliament to be dissolved, and early elections to be held. The police also secured the parliament building to prevent protesters from entering the premises and reports said several blockades were established in the capital. A curfew has also been set and restrictions on mobility are in place. The new constitution that Tunisia adopted in 2014 divides power between the president, prime minister, and parliament. The president has used the new constitution's provisions, specifically Article 80, to justify his decisions. Article 80 provides the president to seize power in the country in the case of a national emergency. Many have argued that his moves against the prime minister and parliament are unconstitutional since under Article 80, the parliament has to continue operating and constitutional courts, which are yet to be established, have to decide the course of action after it is in effect. The leftist Workers' Party of Tunisia released a statement on Monday condemning the president's moves and calling them a violation of the constitution. They stated that while they confirmed that the government has led the country into a deep economic crisis, Said's actions are not a solution to the problems facing the people. Parliament speaker and leader of the Anachta Party, Rashid Hanouchi, reacting to the president's actions called it a coup against the revolution and the constitution. Massive anti-government protests have been happening for years in Tunisia as the promises of the Arab Spring have been betrayed by the ruling class. These protests have been motivated by a range of socioeconomic and political issues affecting their lives and the government's abject failure in addressing them. Youth unemployment is a central concern. Some estimates state that one in every three young Tunisians is unemployed. This is compounded by rapid inflation, poor government services, and long-standing issues of corruption and state oppression. The pandemic has further contributed to economic decline and has severely affected the vital tourism industry, which provides employment to millions of Tunisians. There has also been a recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases in the country, and the health minister of the country was sacked days earlier amid criticisms over the weak response to the pandemic. The country has so far recorded a little over more than half a million COVID-19 cases, which have resulted in more than 18,300 deaths. The vaccination rate in Tunisia stands at 8%, with only close to 1 million out of a total population of 12 million Tunisians being fully vaccinated. According to the health ministry, on Saturday, July 24, Tunisia recorded the highest single-day death toll since the beginning of the pandemic, with 317 deaths, along with 5,624 new cases. More protests are expected in coming days as the protesters have vowed to continue their fight until fresh elections are held.