 Rioting has erupted south of the Algerian capital and in the northeast of the country demonstrators blocked roads to protest government plans to increase gas prices. According to Algerian newspaper reports on Tuesday, hundreds of youths set fire to public buildings in the town of Birina, in the Jilfa region 270kms south of Algiers. Security forces used tear gas against the demonstrators, carrying out several arrests, the reports said. Meanwhile in the country's northeast, angry demonstrators in the town of Khirrata reportedly blockaded the region's main road. Butane gas and fuel oil are the only available sources of energy in Algeria's remote mountain regions and high plateaus. The government's decision to raise the price of a litre from 170 to 200 dinars ($2.3 to $2.8) goes against a recommendation from the national parliament.
| It's kinda nice to see them rioting over more routine issues... |
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