This march coincides with the regional general strike called for, following days of daily protest movements in the governorate, especially after repeated cases of suffocation among more than 100 students due to toxic gases emitted from the chemical complex located in the heart of the city. Protesters participating in the march raised slogans demanding their right to live in a healthy environment and to breathe clean air free from pollution.
The spokesperson explained that this complex has become a danger to their lives and the lives of their children, causing the spread of cancerous diseases in their city. He argued that the “industrial units of the Tunisian Chemical Complex have become outdated, and their lifespan has expired, posing a risk to residents, which necessitates their dismantling.”
An incident of suffocation affecting dozens of students due to gas leaks from the industrial area in Gabes Governorate in southeastern Tunisia last month sparked a wave of anger among residents, bringing the issue of chemical pollution and its escalating health and environmental threats back to the forefront.
On Saturday, September 27, 2025, the Shatt Al-Salam area in Gabes Governorate witnessed mass suffocation cases involving more than 50 students due to gases emitted from the Tunisian Chemical Complex, necessitating their transfer to hospitals. According to data from the “Stop Pollution” campaign in Gabes, nearby Ghannouch City recorded more than 30 suffocation cases on September 9, followed by another incident on September 10 affecting 9 people, then again on September 16 with over 20 suffocation cases, leading up to the latest incident on September 27 in the Shatt Al-Salam area, where the number of affected exceeded fifty.
In this context, the “Stop Pollution” campaign warned of what it described as the “catastrophic situation” inside the industrial zone in Gabes, where environmental and health safety standards are absent, and risks are escalating due to the deterioration of industrial units established more than half a century ago, along with the lack of regular maintenance, making gas leaks more frequent and severe.
