‘The people want independence!’
Since February 2019, the people of Algeria have waged an inspiring revolt against the country’s military regime. Millions took to the streets united in their rejection of the ruling system, demanding radical democratic change. They chanted ‘They must all go!’ and ‘The country is ours and we’ll do what we wish’ – two slogans that have become emblematic of this new Algerian revolution. The Hirak (‘movement’ in Arabic) succeeded in overthrowing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in early April 2019 after six weeks of protests.
Weekly protests continued every Friday through the scorching summer. A student movement organized parallel demonstrations every Tuesday, adding to the momentum. Only in March 2020, with the Covid-19 pandemic forcing a lockdown, did this mass movement see a temporary halt.
The country has been in a political crisis for decades, particularly since the 1992 military coup that prevented the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) from winning the first multi-party elections since independence and the atrocious war on civilians that followed, killing an estimated
