TUNIS – The funeral of a slain Tunisian opposition leader was marred Friday by clashes between police and gangs of young men destroying nearby cars, as black smoke spiraled from burning vehicles into the sky and clouds of tear gas floated over the nearby cemetery. Hundreds of thousands of Tunisians chanting anti-government slogans converged on the Jellaz cemetery for the funeral of Chokri Belaid, a left-wing politician whose assassination Wednesday outside his home has exacerbated Tunisia's political crisis and escalated tensions in the North African nation that helped kick off the Arab Spring. The murder of Belaid, a harsh critic of the government, sparked days of rioting by his supporters, who hold the ruling Ennahda party complicit in his death. The nation was largely shut down Friday due to a general strike called by the labor unions in solidarity, and the national carrier Tunis Air canceled all its flights. Belaid's funeral procession passed into the cemetery amid a scene of chaos caught live on television. Family members and associates wept as he was lowered into the earth and his colleague Hamma Hammami of the Tunisian Workers' Party gave the eulogy. “Sleep well, Chokri, we will continue the fight,” he said, even as the acrid stench of the tear gas fired outside hung in the air. Hundreds of young men threw rocks at police trying to stop them from destroying cars in a nearby municipal lot, and police responded with tear gas. TV images showed the youths pushing cars into the street, and the cars bursting into flame. Witnesses described the young men in tracksuits — many armed with clubs and machetes — as hooligans seeking to take advantage of the turmoil surrounding the funeral. “These kids are uncontrollable and don't follow any political ideology,” said Moncef Chebbi, 68, a retired computer programmer attending the funeral. He said they came from nearby low-income neighborhood. Khaled Tarrouch, the Interior Ministry spokesman, said 132 people were arrested and around a dozen cars set on fire. He said they were being questioned to see if someone was behind the violence. – AP
