Security is chasing dozens of protesters in Menzel Bouzelfa after environmental tensions
Security authorities have arrested 20 people and summoned 20 others to investigate against protests against the blackfly leather factory and subsequent clashes.
The local delegation Menzel Bouzelfa of Nabeul State, until 31 October 2026, witnessed security prosecutions that prolonged dozens of residents and protesters following escalating environmental tensions and popular protests in the region. The security interventions resulted in the arrest of 20 people by the National Guard Center in Menzel Bouzelfa to investigate recent events.
Twenty citizens and other nationals have been officially summoned to appear before the Ben Arous National Guard's Third Crime Task Force to hear them. These actions come after a wave of anger and field action by the population in protest at the sector's innovative industrial activities and their field implications.
Local residents and organizations have raised widespread objections to the establishment of an industrial unit dedicated to breeding blackfly larvae for cultivation near residential areas, a local hospital and farmland. Protesters expressed their concerns about the health effects and use of tens of tons of organic waste per day without clear environmental impact studies for the project.
The roots of the crisis go back to people's refusal in October 2026 to refuse the facility, before the events worsened on Wednesday night 21 October 2026 after one of the protesters died as a result of a crash, which later led to fires being set at the factory headquarters by angry citizens.
The Public Prosecutor's Office has authorized the opening of an official investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of the protester alongside the investigation into the burning of the industrial facility, while continuing security and judicial investigations and hearing of detainees and summoners to determine the legal responsibilities of each party.
