MAZZOUNA, Tunisia — April 16, 2025 — Widespread protests have broken out across Tunisia following the tragic deaths of three teenage students in the central town of Mazzouna after a school wall collapsed. The fatal incident, which occurred on Monday, has sparked a national outcry over government negligence, deepening public frustration over deteriorating infrastructure and perceived official indifference.
According to the Tunisian Civil Defense, the three students — all of whom were preparing for their crucial baccalaureate exams — lost their lives when a crumbling wall at their school gave way. Two additional students were seriously injured in the collapse and remain in critical condition. The wall, described by locals as visibly decayed and long overdue for repairs, stood as a grim symbol of Tunisia’s worsening public service crisis.
By Tuesday, Mazzouna had erupted in grief and anger. Hundreds of residents took to the streets, expressing their fury over what they see as systemic neglect by government authorities. Protesters blocked roads with burning tires, vandalized a government vehicle, and rallied near the local National Guard headquarters. Chants denouncing the marginalization of Tunisia’s interior regions echoed through the town, with demonstrators calling for the dismissal of officials they hold responsible for the tragedy.
Shops and schools across Mazzouna shut down in solidarity, transforming the town into a center of mourning and protest. The collective action was not limited to the immediate area; in the capital city of Tunis, hundreds of young people joined the demonstrations, raising slogans that demanded the government’s resignation. Many carried banners in solidarity with the victims and decried what they described as a long-standing pattern of negligence and decay afflicting public institutions.
Witnesses at the scene described the mood as one of both sorrow and defiance. “This wasn’t just an accident,” said one protester. “It was the result of years of official indifference. Our children are dying in schools that are falling apart.”
The collapse has become a flashpoint in a country already grappling with an economic and social crisis that has only deepened in recent years. Inflation, unemployment, and widespread corruption have eroded public trust in state institutions. For many, the wall collapse is not an isolated event but rather the consequence of a state apparatus that has failed to maintain even the most basic standards of safety and infrastructure, especially in underserved regions like Mazzouna.
Authorities moved quickly to contain the public anger. A judicial spokesperson confirmed that an investigation had been launched into the incident. As a first step, the principal of the school where the wall collapsed has been arrested, though critics say accountability must extend far beyond local officials.
In a statement released late Tuesday, Tunisia’s Ministry of Education expressed condolences to the victims’ families and promised “a thorough and transparent investigation.” However, the ministry’s words have done little to calm the unrest, as demands for deeper reforms continue to grow louder.
Calls for accountability have now expanded into broader critiques of Tunisia’s governance. Activists and civil society leaders argue that the state’s neglect of infrastructure in poorer towns is not just a policy failure but a violation of citizens’ rights. “This is a nation that has seen revolution, that has fought for dignity,” said a demonstrator in Tunis. “Yet we are still burying our children because our schools are collapsing.”
As Tunisia marks another tragic chapter in its post-revolution era, the protests in Mazzouna and beyond serve as a stark reminder of the mounting tensions simmering beneath the surface — tensions fueled by a citizenry no longer willing to accept decay and disregard as the status quo. Whether the government can regain the public’s trust remains uncertain, but what is clear is that the wall that fell in Mazzouna has shaken the entire nation.
