| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa North |
| Police reinforcements deployed in Algiers before a march of the opposition |
| 2011-02-12 |
| [Ennahar] Significant police reinforcements were deployed Friday in central Algiers, less than 24 hours before a march from the National Coordination for Democracy and Change (CNDC), which claims the "departure of the system" said a journalist from AFP. At Mauretania Square, less than one kilometer from "Place de la Concorde" (better known under its old name of May 1st), the planned starting point of this demonstration, anti-riot vehicles have already taken position as many coppers walk the streets around. Square Police roadblocks set up at entrances to the capital since suicide kabooms in April and December 2007, claimed by Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), were also strengthened. Capital markets have been stormed by the inhabitants of Algiers, fearing a breakdown of stocks of food that could lead to a deterioration of the situation after the event. The president of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD Opposition) Said Sadi has confirmed to AFP Friday that the authorities "were trying to encircle the capital" to prevent any demonstrators from other regions, reaching Algiers. "We're ready for Saturday's march, but they (the authorities) are trying to encircle the capital. The trains are not allowed into Algiers and transport links are being blocked," he said. According to the president of the RCD, the authorities decided to deploy 10,000 police in Algiers, in addition to the 20,000 already deployed for the Jan. 22 RCD March banned then blocked by the authorities. "Large amounts of tear gas canisters were unloaded in the night from Sunday to Monday in the port of Algiers," said Saadi. Apart from the RCD, the CNDC, born January 21 in the wake of riots that killed 5 people, injured over 800, includes the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LADDH), autonomous unions and representatives from civil society. |
| Posted by:Fred |