Thousands of people demonstrated against the President in Tunisia

Thousands of Tunisians protested on Sunday against President Kais Saied, demanding a return to the normal democratic order and rejecting his replacement of the independent electoral commission with one he named himself.

"The people want democracy" and "Saied has led the country to starvation" were two slogans chanted by the protesters at the main rally in central Tunis, the biggest against him in months, a week after a far smaller demonstration in his support.

"It has become clear that the street supports a return to the democratic path," said Samira Chaouachi, the deputy leader of the dissolved parliament who like Saied's other opponents accuses him of a coup.

Underscoring the broad opposition among political parties to Saied, who appears to retain some popularity among ordinary people, hundreds of supporters of Tunisia's former autocratic leader held their own separate protest against him.