Algerian police have arrested and dispersed a small protest of journalists in the capital Algiers as they called for the right to cover the increasingly large nation-wide protests.
Since last Friday, calls to protest were answered not by some, but by masses across Algeria in a never before-seen push-back against the government of Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
They are calling for him to step down as a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections on April 18th as he seeks a fifth term.
“Algerians are protesting against Abdelalaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term, despite his poor state of health. That is the main demand. The other demand is a protest against the entire regime. They are demanding that the regime goes away,” explains Hamdi Baala, an Algiers-based journalist.
“And so they are basically protesting the ludicrousness of an ailing man who partakes in election for a fifth term. He’s held office since 1999. And he amended the constitution to run for a third term in 2009 and now you're seeing a fifth term of someone who is clearly incapable of ruling. So essentially this is a people’s movement to say enough is enough” adds Yasmine Allouche, an Algerian national herself living abroad as a researcher for TRT specialising in Algeria.
Algeria: satirical video about Bouteflika circulating to mobilize for protests tomorrow. Don't need to speak Arabic to know what's the message. pic.twitter.com/Ak2CpXgH19
Weddady (@weddady) February 27, 2019
Protesters are coming out en masse to make it clear that “they want a complete reform and shake-up of the current system and for the constitution to be reformed, or at least adhered to” explains Allouche.
When Bouteflika was elected into power in 1999, under the constitution the president could only remain in power for two terms at five years each.
However, in 2009, he amended the constitution allowing himself to be re-elected for a third, and then a fourth term in 2014, despite having suffered a stroke in 2013. But according to the constitution, article 102 stipulates “that any illness that prevents a leader from governing the country must step down” underlines Allouche.
Change in the country
The call to demonstrate was led by the people, stresses Allouche. “These are anonymous calls to utilise the streets as a medium of protest…but now you’re [seeing] a more organized response.”
At the heart of the protest is the umbrella movement called Mouwatana, born in Algeria six months ago.
“Right now Mouwatana is the initiator” says Paris-based Fatah Bendali, the movement's coordinator in France.
Mouwatana, which means citizen and people’s hope in Arabic, is a collection of political parties, associations and independent people working together with the overall goal to improve Algeria by emphasizing the role of citizens through the rule of law explains Bendali.
“That means it rejects our despotic system which is considered illegitimate and corrupt by everyone” he stresses.
The movement tried to initiate protests six months ago, but the government had refused such moves. But with elections looming ahead, Mouwatana called on citizens “to come with us and to take the future by themselves” says Bendali, adding it was essentially a call to protest that culminated last week on 22 and 24 February.
Those protests were held in 45 out of 48 districts across Algeria, and by the Algerian diaspora across the world, particularly here in France, where a major one was held in central Paris last Saturday.
Their chants clearly indicate that they do not want Bouteflika, nor his brother Said Bouteflika to run for Algeria's presidency.
They also want to the see the Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia step down.
“Before the protests, he [Ouyahia] said the people are happy that Bouteflika is a candidate” explains Baala.
In response, the people came out to prove him wrong.
Protests not new
Allouche is quick to point out that protests in Algeria are not new, despite the on-going ban under the state of emergency.
“Various sectors of the education, oil gas sectors, have regularly undertaken strikes and protests along with human rights organisations” but their numbers have normally been small, and thus “not seen in the same magnitude as we [had] last week”.
Authorities tried to contain the demonstrations across Algeria, but the sheer scale of the numbers of protesters has overwhelmed police, say Baala. “They couldn’t contain the protests so [they] happened anyway, despite being banned in Algiers” he adds.
While the protests have not yet turned violent, Allouche warns that as the numbers increase, it is possible that the police will change their strategy.
For the time being, Hamid says police are firing teargas and arresting protesters and releasing them at the end of the day.
Upcoming demonstrations
Mouwatana is expecting another major turnout on Friday and over the weekend. Bendali says in France protests will be held in Paris and Lyon on Saturday.
Marseille, Toulouse and the Canadian city of Montreal will hold protests on Sunday.
