Algeria to ban unauthorised protests

Critics say new measure aimed at suppressing the Hirak protest movement ahead of parliamentary polls in June.

Algeria will ban unauthorised demonstrations, the country’s interior ministry has announced, a move that observers say is aimed at bringing to an end a years-long protest movement seeking democratic reforms. The announcement came on Sunday as protests by the Hirak movement gained momentum in recent weeks after a months-long hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of demonstrators began taking to the street in February 2019 to protest against former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s decision to seek a fifth term in office.