The number of those detained in the ongoing protests in Tunisia has risen to 778 after 151 people were arrested on Thursday, Interior Ministry spokesman Khalifa Chibani has announced.
According to Chibani, clashes between protesters and police were "limited" and "not serious", while there were not recorded any acts of violence, theft or looting that day.
A major rally is set to be held on Friday over the measures introduced earlier in January that are expected to see prices and taxes rise as the protests entered the fifth day.
READ MORE: Protests in Tunisia: Popular Movement or Foreign Meddling?
The Tunisian authorities have deployed military units to protect government buildings, banks and stores and threatened to crack down on violent protests some of which have resulted in looting, setting buildings on fire and violent clashes with the police to restore order in the long-troubled North African state that has been rocked by massive rallies for several years in January to mark the anniversary of the 2011 Arab Spring revolution.
The 2011 Jasmine Revolution led to a thorough democratization of the country and to free and democratic elections and sparked a wave of similar revolutions across North Africa and the Middle East.