By Tarek Amara

TUNIS (Reuters) -Residents entered the state-run Tunisian Chemical Group’s (CGT) phosphate complex in the southern city of Gabes on Saturday, demanding its closure to prevent environmental pollution and respiratory illnesses, witnesses said.

The protest highlights the pressure on President Kais Saied’s government, already strained by a deep economic and financial crisis, to balance public health demands with the production of phosphate, Tunisia’s most valuable natural resource.

Demonstrators were walking inside the facility and chanting slogans calling for its closure and dismantling, witnesses said and videos on social media showed.

Army soldiers and military vehicles were seen stationed inside the complex, though no clashes were reported.

“Gabes has turned into a city

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