Call to join the march “Let’s Knock Racism Out!”

June 16, 2026
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Sunday, June 21, 2026 – 2:00 p.m. – Barbès Metro Station (Paris)

The undersigned associations and organizations call on Tunisians, as well as all those committed to the values of freedom, equality, and solidarity, to join the march “Let’s Knock Out Racism,” organized at the initiative of numerous anti-racist organizations, human rights groups, labor unions, political parties, and prominent activists in France.On this occasion, we will participate in the march with a banner to raise a voice of solidarity and justice, denouncing racism in all its forms, in France as well as in Tunisia.

We wish to express our full solidarity with Saadia Mosbah, who has been sentenced to eight years in prison, and with Abdallah Said, who has been detained for over a year and a half awaiting trial, because of their commitment to the rights of migrants and to human solidarity.

We also wish to condemn the racist attacks, violence, forced deportations, inhumane treatment, and numerous violations of fundamental rights suffered by sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia.

Racist acts and crimes targeting sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia have reached an alarming level of severity. This violence thrives in a climate of impunity that gives perpetrators the impression that they can act without fear of prosecution or punishment.

Since President Kaïs Saïed’s statements targeting sub-Saharan migrants—which have been widely condemned by numerous human rights organizations for contributing to stigmatization and the spread of hate speech—acts of racism, assaults, and violence have increased, fueling a climate of fear, exclusion, and dehumanization.

The recent release of a video showing a Black woman being gang-raped in front of her husband has sparked widespread outrage. This extremely serious act illustrates the extent to which the dehumanization of already vulnerable people can lead. As human beings, we cannot accept that racism, violence, and impunity become normalized.

We also condemn the responsibility of the migration policies implemented by the European Union and Tunisia. The political, financial, and security support provided by the European Union to the Tunisian authorities raises serious questions about each party’s responsibility for human rights violations committed against migrants. No migration policy can justify violations of human dignity or the undermining of fundamental rights.

At the same time, the memorandum of understanding signed between Tunisia and the European Union has been accompanied by a significant increase in border removals and deportations of Tunisian nationals from several European countries. Presented as a model of effective cooperation in migration control, Tunisia is now held up as a success story of a policy based on the externalization of borders and the acceleration of returns. Behind the rhetoric of “managing migration flows,” however, this approach has severe human, social, and economic consequences for those affected. It prioritizes a logic of closure and deportation at the expense of the protection of fundamental rights, the dignity of migrants, and addressing the root causes of migration. We refuse to allow Tunisia to serve as a showcase for a migration policy that prioritizes security imperatives over respect for human rights.

In the face of violence, humiliation, and dehumanization, we refuse to remain silent. We affirm that solidarity is not a crime, that the defense of human rights must never be criminalized, and that justice must be served for the victims without delay. It is also essential to put an end to the rhetoric and practices that fuel hatred, racism, and exclusion.

On June 21, let’s make our voices heard: