Brussels, 14/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - Algeria experienced on Saturday 12 February the start of a popular uprising that could see this North African country become the third, after Tunisia and Egypt, to feel the call from the street for changes of policy and leadership. Almost 30,000 police officers dispersed the few thousand people (250 according to government press) and prevented the demonstration from gaining a foothold. The Algerian Human Rights League claimed that over 300 demonstrators were arrested. The coordinators of this popular protest are far from discouraged and have called for a further march in Algiers on 19 February.
Jerzy Buzek. The first European reaction was from European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, who said in a statement: “I call upon the Algerian authorities to refrain from violence and respect their citizens' right to peaceful demonstration. Any and all demonstrators arrested should be released immediately. The continuing state of emergency is unjustifiable and clearly hampers Algeria's prospects for the fair, peaceful and sustainable development of the country. Earlier this month I welcomed the announcement of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to lift the state of emergency in Algeria. It is but a first step in responding to the legitimate democratic aspirations of the Algerian people, but even this step has yet to materialise. Opposition groups, civil society, and especially young people should have the right to freely express their criticism of the government. No government can ignore the call of its people”.
Press. In Algeria, the government press is trying to play things down: “A calm and peaceful atmosphere reigned in several districts of Algiers on Saturday with people going about their ordinary business”, wrote El-Mujahid. However, the images broadcast by satellite television channels, including European channels such as BBC Arabic, France24-arabe, Euronews Arabic, gave an altogether different impression. In the independent press, the view is the opposite, with editorialists warning the government. “After Tunisia and Egypt, no one will be able to claim not to be aware of the endemic poverty and the people's desire for greater political openness, of the damage of the concentration of power in too few hands and the consequences of the pillage of the country's wealth”, writes the daily Liberté. For el-Watan, “in choosing to go down the route of repression, … the Algerian government has once again soiled its image both domestically and internationally. … The experiences of Tunisia and Egypt have provided ample demonstration that repression, prohibition, and refusal of dialogue and change lead inevitably to deadlock, if not disaster”. (F.B./transl.rt)