Tunisian protesters clash with police over missing migrants

Hundreds of Tunisians clashed with police on Wednesday (Oct 12) during a protest to demand a rescue mission for relatives lost at sea during a failed migration attempt.

Protesters burnt tires and threw rocks at police. They also blocked the main street in the coastal town of Garzis , shouting “the people want our lost children!”

The incident in the south-eastern Tunisian city came more than two weeks after a boat carrying Tunisian migrants went missing off the coast during an attempt to reach Italy.

On Monday, seamen found eight bodies which are now awaiting DNA analysis, the Tunisian Red Crescent said.

So far only 3 bodies have been recovered and more than ten people still missing. 

The Tunisian Human Rights League said authorities had “not devoted the necessary resources to search and rescue operations in a timely way” and called for an inquiry into the burials.