Arab counter-spring in Tunisia with large anti-government protest

From AFP:

Tens of thousands of people poured onto the streets of the Tunisian capital to demand the resignation of the government as the political crisis in the north African nation deepened.

The country has been wracked by political unrest since the July 25 murder of opposition lawmaker Mohamed Brahmi and Tuesday's protests marked the biggest anti-government demonstration since the assassination.

A police official estimated that 40,000 people crowded the streets of Tunis to call for the government led by the moderate Islamic movement Ennahda to step down. Opposition leaders cited in local media put the figure at 100,000-200,000.

Earlier on Tuesday, the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) -- a body elected in 2011 to forge consensus on drafting a new constitution -- was suspended.

Brahmi's murder, as well as that of another opposition politician, Chokri Belaid, have been blamed on radical Islamists, with the Ennahda-led cabinet criticised for not doing enough to prevent them.

The demonstration attracted a mixed bag of opposition parties, ranging from extreme left to centre-right, and was timed to mark six months since Belaid was gunned down outside his home.

Protesters carried pictures of both Belaid and Brahmi and shouted slogans such as "The people want the regime to fall" and "The government will end today".

The Islamist Ennahda party has not been nearly as oppressive as the Muslim Brotherhood was in Egypt, so it is not clear that these rallies will topple the government. They have been growing steadily, however.

Also, elections are planned already for December. Whether they will be fair or not is anyone's guess, but right now there doesn't seem to be nearly as much anger and frustration in Tunisia as there was in Egypt.

There is no doubt that Egypt's successful coup has put the brakes on the Islamist revolution that appeared to be taking over the entire region only recently.