The day Chokri Belaid was assassinated.
I will never forget that day, two years ago from now and It was my second day working as a journalist. Of course, I was really excited and so eager to go out and cover what was happening in the Tunisian streets after the assassination of #ChokriBelaid who was the biggest leftist opposition leader by then. The country went under a shock effect and everything in the capital was paralyzed.
I moved around between blocks to take some pictures of the protests and the police raids. Tear gas was the ruling element down town and the funny thing is that at some point, I realized that I was walking against the flow of people. I was going the “wrong” direction- towards the teargas- until it hit me hard. It was so impossible to breathe or to move and the streets were only filled by police men throwing tear gas bombs and getting in response stones from citizens. I managed to take a short cut to go back to my office; however, when I reached the main street again, I found myself standing in the spot where this picture was taken (between the old Medina and Avenue Habib Bourguiba). The scene was captivating, it spoke, I couldn’t just turn my back to it and run to my office. Even though, I was fully aware I was the only girl standing there at that moment, I didn’t really care, as if something told me to just take that shot. So, I simply, stupidly stood there and tried to capture the prefect moment, and when I finally did, Suddenly and out of nowhere, a stranger grabbed my camera and ran away with it calling for everyone around to run away as if it was the police chasing them, in order for no one to notice that it was only me chasing him for my camera.
Magically, I chased him down the street and managed to get my camera back with the help of some locals who lived in the area and happened to know him as a professional thief. I was terrified, horrified and literally under shock, but I stood up and decided to carry on walking to my office to finish writing the article that made me go through all that.
After that day, Tunisia entered a new phase, a new era of violence, political assassinations and unknown certainties.
I haven’t shared this story with many people, I guess i kept it for my self for 2 years, but now I think it is time to share it.
Racha Haffar 