rooster59 Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 Algerians forego weekly protest amid coronavirus By Lamine Chikhi A general view shows empty streets after an anti-government protest were suspended, following the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Algiers, Algeria March 20, 2020. REUTERS / Ramzi Boudina ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algerian protesters heeded a presidential order over the coronavirus, and the pleas of some of their own leaders, by not staging their weekly demonstration against the ruling elite on Friday for the first time in over a year. Leading supporters of the protest movement, including imprisoned activist Karim Tabbou, human rights lawyer Mustafa Bouchachi and former minister Abdelaziz Rahabi, had urged the protesters to suspend their marches. "No marchers today, only policemen, journalists and a couple of passers by," said a journalist watching for any signs of protesters in the central Algiers streets that have for months been their stronghold. Millions have marched in Algiers and in other cities to demand the uprooting of a system they see as corrupt. They did not stop protesting even after president Abdelaziz Bouteflika was forced to resign in April 2019. Algeria's president Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Thursday ordered the security forces to enforce a ban on any public gathering as part of the government's measures to contain the coronavirus, with 94 cases confirmed in the country so far. (Reporting By Lamine Chikhi, editing by Angus McDowall and Timothy Heritage) -- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-21 Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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