Algeria Confirms Lifting State of Emergency While Protests Grow

Amid protests inspired by the recent downfalls of regimes in Egypt and Tunisia, Algerian authorities claimed on Monday that they would lift a 19-year emergency law in the coming days, according to the French radio station Europe 1.
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Algeria Confirms Lifting State of Emergency While Protests Grow
People hold Algerian national flags, on February 12, 2011 at the republique square in Paris, during a demonstation to call for a regime change in Algeria, a day after the fall of Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak. (Pierre Verdy/Getty Images )
2/14/2011
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/109025220.jpg" alt="People hold Algerian national flags, on February 12, 2011 at the republique square in Paris, during a demonstation to call for a regime change in Algeria, a day after the fall of Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak. (Pierre Verdy/Getty Images )" title="People hold Algerian national flags, on February 12, 2011 at the republique square in Paris, during a demonstation to call for a regime change in Algeria, a day after the fall of Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak. (Pierre Verdy/Getty Images )" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1808345"/></a>
People hold Algerian national flags, on February 12, 2011 at the republique square in Paris, during a demonstation to call for a regime change in Algeria, a day after the fall of Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak. (Pierre Verdy/Getty Images )
Amid protests inspired by the recent downfalls of regimes in Egypt and Tunisia, Algerian authorities claimed on Monday that they would lift a 19-year emergency law in the coming days, according to the French radio station Europe 1.

The removal was confirmed by the Algerian foreign minister following through on what President Abdelaziz Bouteflika had promised earlier this month. If the ban is lifted, it will allow the country to restore freedom to civil society and the media.

Inspired by the overthrows in Egypt and Tunisia, a few thousand Algerians took to streets on Feb. 12 demanding that the government follow the presidents of their countries. Thirty thousand riot police were deployed to disperse the crowds.

Demonstrations are scheduled for every Saturday by the Coordination for Change and Democracy, a group that represents opposition parties, trade unions, and human rights organizations, Amnesty International said.

There were also reports of the Internet being shut down and journalists being targeted by government-sponsored thugs.