tunis tunisia troops surrounded tunisias parliament and blocked its speaker from entering monday after the president suspended the legislature and fired the prime minister and other top members of government sparking concerns for the north african countrys young democracy at home and abroadin the face of nationwide protests over tunisias economic troubles and the governments handling of the coronavirus crisis president kais saied decided late sunday to dismiss the officials including the justice and defense ministershe announced a series of other measures monday including a nationwide curfew from 7pm to 6am for one month and a ban on gatherings of more than three people in public places he denied allegations that he was fomenting a coup detatsome demonstrators cheered the firings shouting with joy and waving tunisian flagsbut others accused the president of a power grab and the countrys overseas allies expressed concern that it might be descending again into autocracy in a move sure to fuel those worries police raided the offices of broadcaster aljazeera and ordered it shut downtunisia which ignited the arab spring in 2011 when protests led to the overthrow of its longtime autocratic leader is often regarded as the only success story of those uprisingsbut democracy didnt bring prosperity tunisias economy was already flailing before the pandemic hit with 18 unemployment and young people demanding jobs and an end to police brutality protested in large numbers earlier this yearthe government recently announced cuts to food and fuel subsidies as it sought its fourth loan from the international monetary fund in a decade further fueling anger in impoverished regionsthe pandemic has only compounded those problems and the government recently reimposed lockdowns and other virus restrictions in the face of one of africas worst outbreaksangry at the economic malaise and the poor handling of the pandemic thousands of protesters defied virus restrictions and scorching heat in the capital tunis and other cities sunday to demand the dissolution of parliament the largely young crowds shouted get out and slogans calling for an early election and economic reforms clashes erupted in many placesi must shoulder the responsibility and i have done so i have chosen to stand by the people the president said in a solemn televised addresssaied said he had to fire the prime minister and suspend parliament because of concerns over public violence he said he acted according to the law but parliamentary speaker rached ghannouchi who heads the islamist party that dominates the legislature said the president didnt consult with him or the prime minister as required the three have been in conflictwe have taken these decisions until social peace returns to tunisia and until we save the state saied saidwhile the dissolution of parliament cheered some protesters others in tunisia were opposed police intervened monday to prevent clashes outside the parliament building between demonstrators supporting the president and lawmakers from the dominant ennahdha party and their allies who opposed the move both sides shouted and some threw stones according to an associated press reporterghannouchi the