- Title: Algerians protest after new president inaugurated
- Date: 20th December 2019
- Summary: ALGIERS, ALGERIA (DECEMBER 20, 2019) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS WAVING LARGE ALGERIAN FLAG / PROTESTERS MARCHING PROTESTERS MARCHING PROTESTERS MARCHING AND SHOWING PEACE SIGN, PROTESTERS HOLDING LARGE ALGERIAN FLAG AND CHANTING (Arabic): "Civilian state, not military fascism" PROTESTER LEADING CHANT AND CHANTING (Arabic): "They rigged the election, the president has no legitimacy" PROTESTERS CHANTING PROTESTERS SEEN MARCHING, PEOPLE FILMING FROM BALCONY PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH FLAG AND CHANTING PROTESTERS CHANTING PROTESTER LOOKING ON PROTESTERS CHANTING (Arabic): "The people want the downfall of the regime"
- Embargoed: 3rd January 2020 18:39
- Keywords: Abdelaziz Bouteflika Algeria Algiers President Abdelmadjid Tebboune protesters protests
- Location: ALGIERS, ALGERIA
- City: ALGIERS, ALGERIA
- Country: Algeria
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001BAS7Q6F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Tens of thousands of Algerians protested on Friday (December 20), rejecting the election of newly sworn-in President Abdelmadjid Tebboune as their mass movement debates a response to his offer of talks.
Protesters waved the national flag and chanted "Tebboune is not our president" and "we will continue our protests" in a heavily policed central district of the capital Algiers.
The protesters have marched every Friday since February, demanding that the entire ruling elite quit power, an end to corruption, and that the army withdraw from politics.
In April, the unrest forced veteran president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down, as the military and its allies purged his cronies in an anti-corruption drive while pushing for new elections.
Protesters rejected any election as illegitimate so long as the old ruling elite, including the military, held power. Tebboune was elected with 58% of the vote last week, but with even official figures showing only 40 percent turnout.
He and the four other candidates, all former senior officials, praised the protesters for seeking a patriotic renewal of Algerian politics, but without acceding to their demands for a more thorough purge of the hierarchy.
At his inauguration on Thursday, Tebboune offered dialogue with the protesters and pledged to start work soon on a new constitution that would limit presidents to two terms in office.
(Production: Ramzi Boudina, Mai Shams El-Din) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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