Islamists marched through central Tunis today, demanding religious freedom and calling on the new government to repeal draconian anti-terrorism legislation.
The march by about 200 people was the first significant Islamist protest since the fall of president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, who ran a strictly secular state in which Islamists were often jailed or forced into exile.
Some carried placards reading: "We want freedom for the hijab, the niqab and the beard".
Under Ben Ali's rule, women who covered their hair by wearing the hijab, in the Muslim tradition, were denied access to jobs or education. Men who wore long beards were stopped by police. "We demand the revision of the terrorism law ... and say no to the war on the niqab," one woman said, her face entirely covered by a black veil, or niqab.
Islamists played no visible part in the "Jasmine Revolution" that toppled Ben Ali, but when the Ennahda, the country's largest Islamist movement, was allowed to contest elections in 1989, it came second to the ruling party.
Since Ben Ali was forced to flee to Saudi Arabia on January 14th in the face of violent unrest over poverty and political repression, protesters have been gathering in Tunis to demand that the new interim government be purged of Ben Ali loyalists.
A cabinet reshuffle announced yesterday, in which ministers loyal to Ben Ali were dropped, received a mixed response from protesters, some saying the continued presence of the prime minister in the government was unacceptable.
Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi said 12 ministers would be replaced, purging members of the former ruling party including the interior, defence and foreign ministers.
Hundreds of protesters were still camped outside the prime minister's office this morning, but opinions on the cabinet reshuffle were divided.
Some protesters said the new government line-up met 80 per cent of their demands and it was time to end the sit-in, while others said they would not go until Mr Ghannouchi did. It was not clear if the new line-up would appease Tunisians beyond the protesters outside the prime minister's office, mostly students or young unemployed men who came from rural Tunisia to make their voices heard in the capital.
But life began to return to normal in central Tunis, where the streets were jammed with cars, and shops and offices were open.
Tunisia's uprising has electrified Arabs across the Middle East and North Africa, where many countries share the complaints of poor living standards and authoritarian rule.
Inspired by Tunisia's example, tens of thousands of Egyptians have taken to the streets to demand an end to president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.
Tunisians protested outside the Egyptian embassy in Tunis, calling for the overthrow of Mubarak and other Arab leaders.
Protests have also spread to Yemen, where thousands took to the streets to demand a change of government.
In Brussels, diplomats said European Union foreign ministers were expected to agree on Monday to freeze Ben Ali's assets and offer Tunisia better trade terms.
Reuters