The Protests

CAUSE

WHY?

• an old and sick president:

The actual president, 82-years-old Abdelaziz Bouteflika, has been in power since 1999 and has been judged as non-competent by the people.

In fact, since his stroke in 2013, his ability to rule the country has been discussed because of his incapacity to walk or even talk. From that moment, rumors started to accuse the system to be corrupted and the country ruled by the president's brother, Said Bouteflika.

Algerians beared the system until recently, when they were fed up with their situation and start protesting.

• a new generation:

The last two generations, - y and z- the youngsters who were born after the 1990's, don't have the same fears as their elders.

Algeria has been, for a long time, a dangerous country. Here are some important dates to understanding the people's state of mind :

1830: The state of Algiers, an autonomous province of the Ottoman Empire, has been conquered by the French army.

1939-1945: France called for Algerians to serve with the French army. In front of the struggle of the mainland, the hope of an independent country has been strengthen.

30th October- 1rst November 1954: "La Toussaint Rouge": organized attacks against the French army, they mark the beginning of the Algerian War of Independence. These attacks were claimed by the FLN, "Front de Liberation Nationale", a political party created by Krim Belkacem, Mostefa Ben Boulaïd, Larbi Ben M'Hidi, Mohamed Boudiaf, Rabah Bitat, Didouche Mourad, during the same year.

The French army and the rebels have used torture against each others.

1958-1961: The general De Gaulle was called to resolve the Algerian crisis. At first, De Gaulle wanted to maintain the French occupation in Algeria but he, finally, changed his mind. The French generals and colonists started to feel betrayed by their country. That's why, they created the OAS, "Organisation de l'armée secrète", a secret French army who continue the fight against the Algerian rebels, using terrorism acts.

18th March 1962: Signature of the Evian Agreements by the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (leaded by the FLN) and France. These agreements marked the independence of Algeria.

5th July 1962: Independence of Algeria.

1989 : introduction of the first constitution.

1991-1999 : Civil war: after a violent protest movement against the single-party system, elections are held. The results were not encouraging for the government in power, the Islamic Salvation Front Party was about to win the elections. In response, the legislative vote were cancelled. That's when the bloody civil war started, making the government fight the Islamists groups for 10 years. These years are called "la decennie noire", "the black decade".

1999 : Abdelaziz Bouteflika (from the FLN) becomes president after "rigged" elections according to the people. His first action was ending the civil war, then, getting out of the diplomatic isolation by re-engaging with other States and reviving the economy.

2008: Bouteflika has remove the limitation on the number of terms (which was at two terms max) in the constitution so he could run for a third term. The limitation at two terms will be restored for the constitutional review of 2016.

2013: Since 2005, Bouteflika has been used to hospital stays in France for curing his ulcers. From the 27th April to the 16th July 2013, Bouteflika has been hospitalized for his stroke.

February 2019: the FLN's member announce that Bouteflika will probably run for a 5th term, while he was at the hospital in Geneva. Anger and indignation begin to appear among the population. After the official announcement, it was the beginning of the protest.

Being born after the 1990's makes these generations less afraid of the complications, that could interrupt the protest and endanger their lives, than their elders, who have known the Algerian War of independence and the civil war.

While they compose the largest part of the population, these younsgters are those who are the most touched by the unemployment. the unemployment rate reached 29% of the youngsters, in 2018.

WHO?

-started by students in Algiers and generalized to all the population all over the country.

-against the entire "corrupted regime":

The main demand is the change of the entire regime. Bouteflika isn't the only target, his brother, the military, the entire party and all people (business elites) having something to do with the established power are also concerned.

As a symbol of that aim, the people have chosen the image of a protestor who have talked in the Algerian arabic with an Arabic journalist, in Algiers, after the renouncement of Bouteflika to run for a 5th term. The journalist was explaining the situation in Algiers and has emphasized on the satisfaction of the Algerian protesters, when a protester interrupted her and start yelling that they haven't won yet and that they [the entire regime] must "yetna7aw ga3"-يتنحاو ڨاع- be removed.