TUNIS, Tunisia – More than 8,000 Tunisians have marched through the capital to denounce violence committed by ultraconservative Islamists.
Organized by two leftist opposition parties, Saturday's demonstration was one of the largest marches since a moderate Islamist party won elections in October.
Since the fall of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's secular dictatorship in a popular uprising a year ago, small groups of ultraconservative Muslims known as Salafists have appeared in Tunisia calling for greater piety, attacking unveiled women and secular intellectuals, and occupying universities.
The incidents have embarrassed the country's new moderate Islamist-led government, which has denounced the violence.
Demonstrators called for a united front against "fanaticism" and a pluralistic, tolerant country.
