Algiers — Algerian demonstrators, inspired by popular protests in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East, protested in the capital, Algiers, on Saturday before security forces moved in to break up the demonstration.
The demonstrators gathered in May 1 Square, chanting “Bouteflika out!” in reference to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has ruled Algeria since 1999. Organizers said thousands had taken part, but news agencies gave vastly differing figures, from a few dozen to thousands.
The protesters were hemmed in by thousands of riot police and blocked from embarking on a planned march through the capital. Many were arrested, although there were also conflicting numbers for those detained.
By Saturday afternoon, the square was lined by riot police and armored vehicles and a police helicopter circled overhead. Principal roads into the center of town also remained blocked and far fewer people were on the streets than would be typical on a Saturday.
The Interior Ministry posted a statement on its Web site saying that 250 people had taken part in the protests and that 14 people had been detained and later released, according to Reuters.
Human rights groups however said the number of arrests had been far higher.
The media spokesman for the coordinating committee seeking democratic change in Algeria said that 70 people had been arrested and that about 30 remained in detention. Those detained included the group’s main organizers, as well as human rights activists, union organizers, members of women’s associations and groups formed to track the missing and killed during the civil war in the 1990s.
“It is unacceptable, for a regime that pretends to be ‘democratic’ to pursue its repressive and illegal ways,” spokesman, Tewfik Allal, said in a statement.
Algeria’s government has operated under a state of emergency for nearly two decades. Several antigovernment protests broke out in early January, including some in which demonstrators clashed with members of Algeria’s security forces.
On Friday, several people were wounded outside the office of the main opposition group by security forces as they were celebrating the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after weeks of antigovernment protests in Egypt.
Three weeks earlier, demonstrations in neighboring Tunisia led to the ouster of that country’s autocratic ruler, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.
In, Saudi Arabia, the state news agency reported that the Saudi government welcomed the “peaceful transition of power” in Egypt and supported Egypt’s security forces efforts “to restore peace, stability and tranquillity.”
Adam Nossiter reported from Algiers, and Timothy Williams From New York. Neil MacFarquhar contributed reporting from New York.
This article “Unrest in Algeria Put Down By Police” originally appeared at The New York Times.
© 2011 The New York Times Company
Truthout has licensed this content. It may not be reproduced by any other source and is not covered by our Creative Commons licens
We’re not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats.
As Donald Trump is inaugurated a second time, independent media organizations are faced with urgent mandates: Tell the truth more loudly than ever before. Do that work even as our standard modes of distribution (such as social media platforms) are being manipulated and curtailed by forces of fascist repression and ruthless capitalism. Do that work even as journalism and journalists face targeted attacks, including from the government itself. And do that work in community, never forgetting that we’re not shouting into a faceless void – we’re reaching out to real people amid a life-threatening political climate.
Our task is formidable, and it requires us to ground ourselves in our principles, remind ourselves of our utility, dig in and commit.
As a dizzying number of corporate news organizations – either through need or greed – rush to implement new ways to further monetize their content, and others acquiesce to Trump’s wishes, now is a time for movement media-makers to double down on community-first models.
At Truthout, we are reaffirming our commitments on this front: We won’t run ads or have a paywall because we believe that everyone should have access to information, and that access should exist without barriers and free of distractions from craven corporate interests. We recognize the implications for democracy when information-seekers click a link only to find the article trapped behind a paywall or buried on a page with dozens of invasive ads. The laws of capitalism dictate an unending increase in monetization, and much of the media simply follows those laws. Truthout and many of our peers are dedicating ourselves to following other paths – a commitment which feels vital in a moment when corporations are evermore overtly embedded in government.
Over 80 percent of Truthout‘s funding comes from small individual donations from our community of readers, and the remaining 20 percent comes from a handful of social justice-oriented foundations. Over a third of our total budget is supported by recurring monthly donors, many of whom give because they want to help us keep Truthout barrier-free for everyone.
You can help by giving today. Whether you can make a small monthly donation or a larger gift, Truthout only works with your support.