The Army and the Police: Security Forces in Tunisia

One of the striking things about today's funeral for Shokry Belaid was the polarization between the army and the police. The behavior of the police was shockingly draconian. As crowds gathered for the funeral, they deployed tear gas near the cemetery. Conflict between angry youth and the police predictably broke out, cars were set on fire, and the casket arrived with smoke still in the air. It seemed such a draconian way to handle the situation, and completely unnecessary. Some kids had taken advantage of the funeral to break into cars near the cemetery, but their actions in no way justified a show of force against the mourners as a whole. It also seemed very stupid - like the police were daring the opposition to take them on.

Photo credit to @_LamiaS - found via Tunisia Live

While the police acted aggressively toward the mourners, however, the army seemed to be in alliance with the people. Uniformed military personnel surrounded the coffin during the procession toward the cemetery, and they appeared to be supporters and sympathizers in solidarity with Shokry’s family and friends. This echoes the refrains of the 2011 revolution, where the police were the enemy and the military ultimately facilitated the fall of Ben Ali by supporting the people over the dictator’s internal security forces. There is still a divide between these two parts of the Tunisian security sector, and it is very politicized.

The police are much less visible now than they were before the revolution, and seem to be largely concentrated in certain areas downtown. People feel free to argue with them in the streets, and they don't command the respect they did in days of old. The military is more respected by Tunisians and seen as more supportive of the revolution. If tensions in Tunisia continue to rise, we could once again see a situation where different pieces of the security architecture take sides against each other.