Hundreds of thousands of protesters demanding radical change marched through Algiers for a seventh successive Friday, as Algeria’s spy chief was reportedly fired in a further sign of high-level turbulence after the veteran president resigned. “We want to uproot the symbols of the system,” said teacher Ahmed Badili, as hundreds of people waved national flags from the balconies of buildings. Protesters want to remove any traces of the old guard and introduce sweeping democratic reforms. But no clear successor to Mr Bouteflika has yet emerged and Algeria’s opposition is fragmented. Some protesters saw humour in Algeria’s crisis: “Any country interested in toppling its system, we are ready to help.

Source: The Irish Times April 05, 2019 18:00 UTC