- Title: Algerian protesters demand changes before election
- Date: 25th October 2019
- Summary: ALGIERS, ALGERIA (OCTOBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS WALKING AND CHANTING SLOGANS / POLICE AND POLICE VEHICLES ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING SLOGANS, INCLUDING YOUNG CHILD PROTESTERS CHANTING A SLOGAN (Arabic): "A CIVIL STATE NOT A MILITARY ONE" PROTESTER, HAMZA CHANTING WITH HIS HANDS CHAINED FEMALE PROTESTERS CHANTING SLOGANS PROTESTER HOLDING A PLACARD READING (Arabic): "WE WON'T STOP UNTIL THEY LEAVE" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, HAMZA, SAYING: "They should all leave. We want to remove the regime from its roots; they should all leave without any exception. We also came out to support our brothers who are detained because of their beliefs. The combatants are in jail and the traitors are free." PROTESTERS CHANTING SLOGANS PROTESTER HOLDING A PLACARD READING (French): "THERE WON'T BE A VOTE" VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING A SLOGAN (Arabic): "GET OUT GAID SALAH, THERE IS NO VOTE THIS YEAR" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, FOUZIA, SAYING: "No elections with the gang. We aren't against the elections but against them in the gang. They want to go into a fifth term with Tebboun (a candidate and ex-minister) and we won't accept that." FOUZIA CHANTING A SLOGAN PROTESTER HOLDING A PLACARD READING (Arabic): "DECEMBER 12 IS AN INCARNATION OF THE FIFTH TERM, WHEN WILL THE LAND OF MARTYRS BECOME FREE FROM DICTATORSHIP"/ PROTESTERS CHANTING SLOGANS PROTESTER HOLDING PLACARD READING (English): "ILLEGAL PRESIDENT, ILLEGAL PARLIAMENT, ILLEGAL POWER" VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS HOLDING PLACARDS AND BANNERS AND CHANTING SLOGANS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, ZOUBIER, SAYING: "We want them all to leave, we don't need anyone. It's not Putin who ordered us to do this, we are our own men. You, Bensalah (Abdelkader Bensalah), you aren't a man and you'll never represent us. Long live Algeria!" A PROTESTER HOLDING A PLACARD READING (Arabic): "DECEMBER 12 IS A GANG BOX NOT AN ELECTION BOX" PROTESTERS HOLDING ALGERIAN FLAGS, WALKING AND CHANTING SLOGANS PROTESTERS GATHERED AT LA GRANDE POSTE SQUARE AND CHANTING SLOGANS
- Embargoed: 8th November 2019 19:17
- Keywords: Algerian protesters protests elections Bouteflika era
- Location: ALGIERS, ALGERIA
- City: ALGIERS, ALGERIA
- Country: Algeria
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001B2LJZNR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Algerian protesters vowed to keep up street rallies against the country's ruling elite on Friday (October 25), rejecting a December presidential election with banners reading "No elections with the gang", "we are not ready to stop" and "I will not vote".
Protesters denounce the planned elections because they see them as a renewal of the same regime as all the candidates are ex-ministers of former President Bouteflika's era.
The weekly demonstrations have dropped in size from hundreds of thousands in the Spring, to tens of thousands now, but are still a challenge for the authorities ahead of the Dec. 12 vote.
Algerian President Abdelkader Bensalah stepped down in April, after mass protests that broke out in February which demanded the removal of the ruling elite and the prosecution of people suspected of involvement in corruption.
The army, the main player in Algeria's politics since Bouteflika's resignation, has repeatedly said the election would be the only way out of the crisis, promising the election authority is empowered to ensure a free vote.
(Production: Abdelaziz Boumzar, Thawab Herzallah) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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