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TUNIS: Hundreds of Tunisians marched through central Tunis on
Thursday to protest the visit of US Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton.

It was the third such demonstration in three days against Clinton,
who earlier Thursday opened talks here with interim President Foued
Mebazaa, who replaced ousted Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The demonstrators chanted “Hillary Clinton, you are not welcome, get
out”, “No colonisation after the revolution,” or “No to US tutelage on
Islamic soil”, as they warned against any US intervention in
neighbouring revolt-wracked Libya. “She came before the upcoming
elections to impose the US strategy on Tunisia. But dream on. We brought
down a dictatorship and we also know how to protect our country,” said
60-year-old Naziha Bahri. The new caretaker government has scheduled
elections for mid-July.

Meanwhile, another group of 30 to 50 demonstrators burned a picture
of the chief US diplomat outside the foreign ministry and chanted
anti-US slogans. Police and army troops were deployed in the area.

Earlier, Clinton urged Tunisia to carry out economic and political
reform as it emerges from authoritarian rule and praised the country for
aiding refugees from fighting in Libya.

Making her final stop on a trip that included Egypt, where former
President Hosni Mubarak fell from power on February 11, Clinton stressed
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