Thousands march against Tunisia terror
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World leaders joined tens of thousands of Tunisians yesterday to march in solidarity against Islamist militants, a day after security forces killed members of a group blamed for a deadly museum attack.
The March 18 attack on the Bardo national museum in Tunis killed 21 foreign tourists and a policeman.
A red-and-white sea of Tunisian flags filled a major boulevard in the capital Tunis where several world leaders, including French President Francois Hollande, came to rally under the slogan “Le Monde est Bardo” (The World is Bardo).
“We have shown we are a democratic people, Tunisians are moderate, and there is no room for terrorists here,” said one of the demonstrators, Kamel Saad. “Today everyone is with us.”
Thousands of police and soldiers were positioned around the capital.
The Bardo massacre was one of the worst attacks in the history of Tunisia. Japanese, Polish, Spanish and Colombian visitors were among those killed, which the government says was aimed at destroying Tunisia’s tourism industry.
Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi also took part in the demonstration, along with leaders of Algeria, Belgium, Libya, Poland and the Palestinians.
“The Tunisian people will not bow,” President Beji Caid Essebsi said in a speech after the march. “We will stay united against terrorism until we wipe out this phenomenon.”
Tunisia’s Prime Minister Habib Essid earlier told reporters that a raid in the southern Gafsa region had killed nine militants from the local group Okba Ibn Nafaa, including Algerian Lokman Abu Sakhr, suspected of orchestrating the museum attack.
“This is a clear and strong response to terrorism,” Essid said.
Islamic State claimed the attack, though the Tunisian government has pointed the finger at Okba Ibn Nafaa, which has a base in the Chaambi mountains bordering Algeria.
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