The resolve of Algerians to ensure the success of the democratization process that was reignited in 2019 is tenacious. Algerians have returned to the streets in large numbers despite a government ban on protests aimed at curtailing the Hirak democracy protests that demand an end to quasi-military rule. This information is from the People’s Dispatch. Here is an excerpt:
Algerians in large numbers took to the streets across the country on Friday, May 14, days after the government banned ‘unauthorized demonstrations’ in an effort to curtail the Hirak protests. The protesters demanded an end to quasi-military rule, large scale reforms to improve the economic and social conditions in the country, and a new political system devoid of the corrupt politicians, businessmen and others belonging to the Abdelaziz Bouteflika era.
A staggering 900 arrests were made across the country. Among those held were the recently released journalist Khaled Drareni and Kenza Khatou, a woman journalist whose violent detention sparked massive outrage. Politicians from opposition parties, such as head of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) party, Mohsen Bel Abbas, and the National Coordinator of the Social Democratic Movement Party, Fathi Grass, were also detained.
The protests which took place on the day of Eid Ul-Fitr, were staged in Algiers, as well as smaller cities such as Setif, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Oran, and Mostaganem. In Algiers, thousands of protesters faced off against a large contingent of security forces equipped with riot gear near the city’s Al-Rahma mosque. The police surrounded the protesters from all sides and cordoned off them in one location, preventing them from moving forward or others from joining in. According to media reports, protesters were seen chanting slogans such as “You can do whatever you want. We will not stop.”
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