Tens of thousands stage rallies in Algeria
ALGIERS: Tens of thousands protested across Algeria on Friday in the biggest rallies yet against ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s bid for a fifth term, despite the defiant leader’s warning of the risk of ‘chaos’.
A march in the capital Algiers was slowed to a near-crawl by the huge numbers taking part, swelled by women marking International Women’s Day and chanting “No fifth term — hey, Bouteflika!”
Waving Algeria’s green-whiteand-red flags, men and women converged on the city’s landmark Grand Post Office square after weekly prayers.
“The people are here, from all social classes, from the youngest to the eldest, everyone is saying ‘no to a fifth term, please, leave, you won’t even be judged’,” said Kamel, a 37-year-old protester in the capital.
The police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse those who tried to force their way through a police cordon that was blocking access to a road leading towards the presidency, an AFP journalist said.
While demonstrators dispersed calmly as darkness fell, small groups of young people clashed with the police.
The unrest left 112 members of the security forces injured, according to police, who said they had arrested 195 people suspected of “vandalism”.
The overall atmosphere through the day was calm and festive, and numerous people attended with their children.
Huge crowds — again far surpassing those seen the previous Friday — also protested in the second and third cities of Oran and Constantine, local journalists on the ground told AFP.
A journalist in Oran said the whole city “is out (on the streets)... this has never been seen before”.
Major demonstrations were reported in other cities across the country by security sources, Algerian media and social networks.
In a message released on Thursday night, Bouteflika — who uses a wheelchair and has rarely been seen in public since a 2013 stroke — warned that troublemakers may try to infiltrate the demonstrations.