Tunisian President Requests New Cabinet

It’s time for a change, Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki said Friday. Responding to increasingly violent protests over economic hardships in the country, Marzouki asked Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali to appoint a new cabinet. More than 220 people were injured this past week during clashes between protesters and police, and at least 17 were blinded by birdshot. According to U.N. human-rights officials, local security forces are using excessive force in their attempts to control the protests. “The government must be changed,” Marzouki said. “If the clashes continue and the government’s response is not adequate, there will be chaos and a dead end.”