ALGIERS- The popular marches continued in Algiers and in other provinces in the country, for the 12th straight Friday. The demonstrators maintained their demands namely; radical change and the departure of “all the faces of the system,” APS journalists reported.
The demonstrations took to the streets in this first Friday in Ramadan, marked by warm weather. The high temperatures have not dissuaded the Algerians from pursuing their protest started on February 22nd.
In Algiers, like previous Fridays, there were no signs of weakness as the first groups of demonstrators started to flock into the esplanade of main Post Office and Place Maurice Audin early in the morning. Others have joined the rally later in the afternoon.
The demonstrations across the capital were as usual peaceful and supervised by reinforced security forces.
Draped in the national flag and waving posters, the citizens demanded the departure of all figures of the political system, the prosecution of all those involved in corruption cases, while expressing their attachment to national unity and reaffirming that “sovereignty belongs exclusively to the people.”
They also expressed their rejection of the presidential election set to be held on July 4, reiterating their demand for the departure of the three Bs, referring to the Head of State Abdelkader Bensalah, Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui and Speaker of the National People’s Assembly Moad Bouchareb.
This Friday’s marches intervene after the decision of the investigation judge at the Military Court of Blida to place Athmane Tartag, Mohamed Mediene and Saïd Bouteflika in preventive detention, for “harming the Army authority” and “plotting against the State authority.”
As part of the same investigation, Louisa Hanoune Secretary General of the Workers Party (PT), has also been held on Thursday in “preventive detention” by the military court of Blida in a civilian prison in the province.
APS**
