Crowds Continue to March in Algeria to Topple Ruling Elite

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Algiers, the capital of Algeria, for the 12th consecutive Friday, demanding the removal of the country’s ruling elite. The demonstrators have been placing tremendous pressure on senior officials who have governed the North African country since independence from France in 1962 to step down. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who had been in power for 20 years, resigned on April 2 following pressure from demonstrators and the army. However, the rallying cry is now for the removal of the regime and the introduction of political reforms. Last week, Bouteflika’s youngest brother, Said, and two former intelligence chiefs were placed in custody by a military judge over “harming the army’s authority and plotting against state authority.” Before that, at least five businessmen, including the country’s richest person, Issad Rebrab, were detained for alleged involvement in corruption scandals. Demonstrators are also demanding the resignation of interim president Abdelkader Bensalah, who replaced Bouteflika for 90 days to oversee the July 4 presidential election.