| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa North |
| Cops come down on Algiers demonstration |
| 2011-02-13 |
| [Ennahar] Massive security forces have prevented scrolling hundreds of people Saturday in central Algiers to seek regime change, on the call of the National League for the Defense of Human Rights (LNDDH) Political parties and civil society organizations. The police have managed to impose their authority and control the situation by encircling the protesters at "1st May Square", following the refusal of the departmental authorities to allow the protest march. The latter was then transformed into a sit-in near the station given the insignificant number of participants. The protesters gathered on the Place de la Concorde rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud demanding an end to the "system". After festivities in the morning, the police carried out arrests among the protesters, who chanted "Free Algeria", "The regime out!" And "System get out!". Political and civil society leaders belonging to the National Coordination for Democracy and Change (NCCD), the source of the call to march, attended the event as well as the co-founder of the Islamic Front Salvation (FIS), Ali Belhadj. A march was scheduled from "Place de la Concorde" to "Place des Martyrs", a journey of about 4 km, but anti-riot units that criss-crossing the area have blocked. The Interior Ministry has announced 14 arrests, but the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LADDH) reported more than 300 between Algiers, Oran (west) and Annaba (east). It was unable to say how many demonstrators were jugged. Among the demonstrators briefly jugged in Algiers, two members of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), Othmane Maazouz and a woman, Feta Sadad and Fodil Boumal, a founder of the National Coordination for Democracy and Change (NCCD) at the origin of the call to march. Forty young cons-demonstrators briefly appeared to shout their support for President Bouteflika. "Bouteflika is not Mubarak", they shouted. In the late afternoon, a last group of diehards has dispersed after continuing to chant slogans in a corner of "Place de la Concorde", contained by a large anti-riot force. A cons-demonstration of about sixty members of the Alliance parties in power, the National Liberation Front (FLN) and the National Democratic Rally (RND), then occupied the premises quietly. |
| Posted by:Fred |