The Tunisian bread riots (, ) were a series of violent demonstrations in Tunisia that occurred from December 1983 to January 1984, triggered by a rise in the price of bread due to an IMF-imposed austerity program. President Habib Bourguiba declared a state of emergency and the riots were put down by force. Over 100 rioters died. The regime was weakened by the upheavals and the aftermath of food riots. Three years later General Zine El Abidine Ben Ali seized power in a coup.
Background
In the 1970s, the Tunisian economy experienced high levels of growth (roughly 8% annually) due to agricultural and petroleum exports in addition to growing tourism. By the early 1980s, though, the European economy stagnated. This had affected Tunisia since its economy relied on exports to Europe and tourists from Europe. The government was struggling to meet rising expenses when a fall in the price of oil towards the end of 1983 further reduced revenue. In August of 1983, there were several increases in the price of basic foods and goods, leading to the average cost-of-living increasing by 8%.
President Bourguiba agreed to seek a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF loan was conditional on government spending cuts, removal of exchange controls, elimination of protective tariffs and devaluation of the currency.
The government decided to end subsidies on wheat and semolina, the main ingredients of bread. At the time, food subsidies accounted for 3.1% of gross domestic product and 10% of the state budget. The subsidies favored the wealthy as much as the poor. The decision was announced on 29 December 1983, and led to an immediate rise in the price of bread and flour. Prices went up by over 100%. The increase, the first in fifteen years, directly affected the poor. Some Tunisian families spent 80% of their food budget on bread and semolina.
During these riots, bread served as a symbol in opposition to poverty, oppression, and neoliberal economic policy. The subsidies were removed at a time of growing political tension. Leftist parties were becoming more popular, as were the Islamist movements, while members of the political elite were jostling for position in anticipation of the aging president's death or resignation. The southern region had been suffering from a drought, which caused a poor harvest. Many of the men in this region traditionally left to work in the coastal towns of Tunisia or as migrant laborers in Libya, and were having difficulty finding work. Open political opposition to the government had recently been expressed in the south, which the government blamed on "foreign-inspired agitators", pointing the finger at Libyans and Lebanese.
Events
The first riots were on Thursday 29 December 1983 in the semi-desert region of Nefzaoua in the south. Riots began in the poverty-stricken and marginalized oases of this region. Although the price rise was the trigger, underlying causes were growing social and economic difficulties. There was speculation that the disturbances were in part fueled by grievances among Islamist groups. Most of the rioters were young and poor, including farmers, seasonal workers and the unemployed. Women supported the rioters, and in some cases participated. Thus in the small southern town of Al-Mabrouka a group of women workers in a textile factory marched into the town chanting slogans against the price rise. They were joined by men, students and even children, and the mob went on to storm the police station, party headquarters, town hall and National Guard headquarters. Security forces fired on the protesters, killing several people. The riots spread to the industrial center of Kasserine by Sunday, and to Gafsa and Gabès by Monday . In Sfax, a major port city, twelve people were killed and twenty were injured. On Sunday January 1st 1984, a peaceful protest occurred in the city of Gafsa, organized by Umar Thabet Qaadir, who served as the leader of the local branc of the Human Rights League. However, the protest was met with a heavy police presence. On Tuesday 3 January 1984 a state of emergency was declared after the unrest had spread to Tunis and Sfax.