The march began on September 27 with 23 participants, according to organisers, and grew to more than 120 as graduates joined along the route. Police blocked the group on October 6 in the town of Borj Cedria, south of Tunis, telling them they could travel individually but not as a group. The marchers had hoped to reach the presidential palace in Carthage.
Among the marchers is Cherine Ghanmi, a graduate who has been unemployed since 2012. Growing up in the marginalised town of al-Mazzunah in Sidi Bou Zid governorate, she walked 5km to school each day. More than a decade after graduating, she continues to rely on her parents.
"We studied and graduated believing we had finally found a way out of poverty," Ghanmi said. "Unfortunately, reality was a big shock for us. Instead of helping them, we have burdened them even more." She described the Dignity March as an expression of the hardship and disappointment experienced by graduates who had spent years searching for work.
The protests coincide with broader discontent over Tunisia’s political direction. On October 17, thousands gathered in Tunis to protest against President Kais Saied’s government, deteriorating living conditions and restrictions on freedoms. The demonstration, led by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), opposition groups and civil society organisations, was among the largest against Saied in years.
Saied, who has concentrated power since 2021, presents his political project as a response to corruption and the failures of the established political class. Critics say the concentration of power has weakened democratic checks and balances while doing little to resolve the country’s economic problems.