Thousands protest as police block off city centre

Police locked down a large area of central Tunis, blocking roads as thousands of protesters, backed by the country’s powerful labour union, gathered in Tunisia’s biggest demonstration for years. The rally was held to mark the anniversary of the 2013 killing of a prominent activist and to protest against police abuses that demonstrators say have imperilled the freedoms won in the 2011 revolution. Riot police deployed cordons around the city centre, stopping both cars and many people from entering the streets around Avenue Habib Bourguiba as thousands of people gathered, a witness said. — Reuters