Algerian police tried but failed to disperse a tide of protesters marching through Algiers Friday, despite the announcement of presidential elections to succeed ousted leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
For the eighth Friday in a row, crowds flooded the Algerian capital’s main streets, although exact numbers remained hard to determine.
There was no violence as riot police, clad in helmets and carrying shields, attempted to clear the principal protest site outside the landmark main post office in central Algiers.
Dozens of police, in their first such operation at the site, were encircled by hundreds of demonstrators, called to protest against alleged manoeuvring by the regime to stay in power.
The crowd, shouting “silmiya, silmiya” (peaceful, peaceful)”, cleared a path for the police to pull back as the demonstrators urged the officers to join their protest.
“We feel there is some tension this Friday, there are a lot of police,” said Karima Bourenane, 36, who turned up with her daughter. “I hope the demonstration will stay peaceful.”
At one point water cannon was used to try to break up the crowds. For an eighth consecutive Friday, social media — the source of mass protests which led to the end of Bouteflika’s two-decade rule — have been filled with calls for demonstrations, this time under the slogan “They will all leave.”
Presidential elections are to be held on July 4, interim leader Abdelkader Bensalah’s office announced on Wednesday, just hours after he pledged “transparent” polls.
The new date was set a day after Bensalah assumed office for a 90-day period, as stipulated by the constitution but much to the ire of demonstrators.