Marches in response to Charlie Hebdo: “We Are All Mohamed For Ever”

Security forces in Algeria could not surround flows of people who took to the street Friday in support of the Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him). Large marches started in different provinces as Algerians kept repeating “No God but Allah and Muhammed is his Messenger.”

Algiers’ mosques and streets marked by rallied in support of the Prophet

Children, women, young men and old people gathered in marches shouting “we are all Muhammed!”

Thousands of people who performed Friday’s Prayer at a mosque in Kouba broke a security barrier holding slogans glorifying the Prophet. They decided to go to downtown to meet with other protesters.

Protesters tried to reach French embassy

The march was turned into skirmishes between some people and policemen who used tear gas wounding a number of persons.

This comes as France’s magazine Charlie Hebdo published a cartoon on its front page depicting the Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him). Security forces prevented protesters from going to the French embassy. Because of that, thousands of people changed their way to the headquarter of People’s National Assembly where they shouted anti-Charlie Hebdo slogans.

With one voice “we all with Muhammed”

From El Mouradia to the 1er Mai Square, people were shouting “No God but Allah. Muhammed is his messenger.”

The protesters took to the street after Friday’s Prayer in a march planned by the MSP party’s leader Abderrezak Mokri.

Security forces surrounded the 1er Mai Square and entered in skirmishes with protesters who could broke the security barriers few minutes later.

Mokri delivered a speech in French addressed to Charlie Hebdo’s staff.

“Today, we are all with Muhammed. This rally shows Muslims’ anger towards offending their Prophet Muhammed by the French satirical magazine,” he said.

Journalists: “we are all Muhammed and against Charlie”

A group of journalists Friday organized a sit-in next to La Maison de la Presse Tahar Djaout in Algiers to condemn the cartoon which was published in the name of freedom of expression.

They raised slogans in support of the Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him). They were unanimous in the fact that Charlie Hebdo’s cartoon has nothing to do with freedom of expression but it is an attempt to offend Islam and Muslims.

In many other provinces, thousands of people also took to the street after Friday’s Prayer to condemn the cartoon publication. Many of them wore shirts with slogans glorifying the Prophet such as “We Are All With Muhammed.”

Security forces prevent protesters from reaching French consulate in Oran

Security forces in the province of Oran (west of Algeria) prevented flows of protesters from arriving to the French and Spanish consulates.

Hundreds of people joined the march directly after Friday’s Prayer. They raised national and Palestinian flags and gathered at the 1er Novembre Square.

A call for boycotting French goods

In the province of Ain Timouchent (west of Algeria), around 15 men held a sit-in next a train station to condemn the cartoon. They also called for boycotting French products.

“I Follow Muhammed” circulars distributed in railways

A number of Algerian young people distributed circulars which include “I Follow Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him)” phrase by the roadside of railways, bus and gas stations.

“Those circulars are a peaceful response to the western world which offends Islam and describes it as a terrorism and extremism religion,” one of the young men told Echorouk.

“This campaign is an individual initiative. It touched many areas in Algiers. It is meant to push Algerians to support the Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him),” he added.

They want to distribute 5 million copies in all the Algerian provinces.