ALGERIA: Members of the banned Islamic Salvation Front protest against anti-Islam film

Record ID: 574161

  • Title: ALGERIA: Members of the banned Islamic Salvation Front protest against anti-Islam film
  • Date: 15th September 2012
  • Summary: ALGIERS, ALGERIA (SEPTEMBER 14, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEMBER OF THE ISLAMIC SALVATION FRONT (FIS) CHANTING WAVING POSTERS DEMONSTRATORS CHANT HOLDING POSTERS THAT READ IN ARABIC: "SORRY MY PROPHET", "ISLAM NATION, YOUR PROPHET HAS BEEN INSULTED" DEMONSTRATORS RUNNING DOWN STREET CHANTING MORE OF FIS MEMBERS PROTESTING ALONG STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED FIS MEMBER, SAYING: "This is a protest in favour of the Prophet, peace be upon him, before we stand in front of God (before we meet our maker). And this is a message to the Americans: The people want the ambassador kicked out." PROTESTERS RUN DOWN STREET AS POLICE CHARGE FORWARD SECURITY APPREHENDING DEMONSTRATORS MORE OF DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING / WAVING POSTERS LEADER OF THE BANNED FIS GROUP, ALI BELHADJ, WALKING AMID DEMONSTRATORS MORE OF BELHADJ WITH DEMONSTRATORS/ PROTESTERS JUMPING HOLDING KORAN BELHADJ SPEAKING TO DEMONSTRATORS MAN HOLDING POSTER MAN SEATED HOLDING UP A COPY OF THE KORAN MORE OF DEMONSTRATORS
  • Embargoed: 30th September 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Algeria
  • Country: Algeria
  • Topics: Entertainment,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVABEBNY38FCSLEAI30C4R5L7TYV
  • Story Text: Hundreds took to the streets of the Algerian capital on Friday (September 14) in a protest against a film that insults the Prophet Mohammad. Members of the banned Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) at the forefront of the demonstration waved posters and chanted slogans as they marched along the streets of Algiers.
    Security forces attempted to disperse the crowds at one point, apprehending demonstrators who were becoming violent.
    Leader of the radical Islamic FIS, Ali Belhadj joined demonstrators who waved copies of the Koran as they chanted anti-U.S. slogans.
    Belhadj marched alongside demonstrators before delivering a speech to the crowds.
    In the early 1990s, Islamists under the banner of the outlawed FIS took leadership of street riots and pushed the government to widen political freedoms and liberty of the press.
    But the army cancelled elections in 1992 which the FIS looked set to win, plunging Algeria into a vortex of violence that killed at least 150,000 according to independent estimates.
    Algeria is one of the latest countries in the Middle East to show indignation over the amateurish film of obscure origin that portrays Mohammad as a womaniser and a fool.
    Protesters on Friday carried banners that read: "Sorry my prophet" and "Islam nation, your prophet has been insulted."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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