Anti-government protest in front of Interior Ministry

(21 Jan 2011) 1. Men spray painting slogan on wall "Stop Ben Ali." 2. Protesters in front of Interior Ministry 3. Protesters shaking their fists and chanting 4. Close of protester chanting 5. Various of protest 6. SOUNDBITE (French) Protester, name not given: "The people are not always calm. We'll know when all members of the former regime are gone." 7. Various of riot police guarding Interior Ministry 8. Various of protesters chanting outside ministry 9. SOUNDBITE (French) Protester, name not given: "We ask that the government resign because there are a lot of ministers from the old regime." 10. Pan over protesters chanting and waving their arms in the air STORYLINE: Tunisians lowered flags and state television broadcast recitations of the Quran on Friday to mourn dozens who died in protests that drove the country's strongman from power. Meanwhile, several hundred demonstrators gathered peacefully across from the long-dreaded Interior Ministry in central Tunis, chanting "Down with the government." The site, cordoned off by security forces, has seen near-daily protests for the past week by those who said the caretaker government was still too dominated by cronies of ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. "We ask that the government resign because there are a lot of ministers from the old regime," one protester said. The government has declared three days of national mourning beginning on Friday as it struggles to restore calm and reconcile a hopeful but scarred Muslim nation in North Africa. Tunisia is a beach and desert haven for European tourists and a US ally in Washington's so called fight against terror. Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia a week ago with his family. The interior minister said 78 civilians were killed, many shot by police, in nearly a month of protests over unemployment, corruption and repression. A French photographer was also killed, as were some members of the security forces, and scores of people were injured. Opposition members claimed the toll was much higher. Ministers in the interim government, Tunisia's first multiparty cabinet, met for the first time on Thursday and came out showing a united front. The government has already seen several resignations since it was formed on Monday. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...