Protests against Ennahda in Tunisia

New protests have been reported in Tunisia on Wednesday in Sidi Bouzid, the town where the Arab Spring began in December 2010. The Tunisie Numerique website said about 3000 demonstrators marched through the main street chanting slogans which included "Down with the new Trabelsi" and "Ennahda merchants of religion". "Trabelsi" is a reference to ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's unpopular wife Laila Trabelsi and her family. Ennahda is the ruling party in the country's post-revolution government. Tunisie Numerique reported that the march came after people distributed pamphlets on Tuesday signed by "The Free Youth of Sidi Bouzid" which called for a general strike and a peaceful march today. Schools, colleges, daycare centres, the regional hospital, the health centre, the post office and Customs have been closed since Wednesday morning in Sidi Bouzid except Société Nationale d'Exploitation and Distribution (SONEDE), the Tunisian company electricity and Gas (STEG), the general store and a few merchants. Sources said the armed forces are protecting the headquarters of the governorate and "Dar Achaab" (the former headquarters of the RCD), adding that law enforcement officers have kept their posts, and the march is still peaceful.