Tunisia declares three days' mourning for fallen heroes

About 1,000 demonstrators gathered in the courtyard of Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi's offices, some climbing lampposts and hanging Tunisian flags and hand-lettered signs.

Central Tunis has seen near-daily protests in the past week by those who say the caretaker government is still too dominated by cronies of Ben Ali. The government has declared three days of national mourning as it struggles to restore calm in the North African country.

Friday's protest in Tunis started at the long-dreaded Interior Ministry then moved to Ghannouchi's offices. Police in some locations were joining ranks with protesters. Officers climbed atop their patrol cars with protesters, waving flags and chanting along with demonstrators outside the prime minister's office. One policeman was lifted onto the shoulders of demonstrators and was seen chanting pro-police slogans along with the crowd.

Outside the Interior Ministry a policeman in tears took off his uniform cap and joined the marching demonstrators to the applause of protesters.

The government says 78 civilians were killed, many shot by police, in nearly a month of protests over unemployment, corruption and repression that eventually forced Ben Ali to flee. A French photographer was also killed as were some security forces, and scores of people were injured.

The United Nations has put the death toll at 100, The Arab News reports.

See www.arabnews.com