Algerian protesters ask deportation of 400 families from the Chinatown

Residents of Bab Ezzouar neighbourhood in Algiers, asked the authorities to deport the Chinese residing in the district known as “Echnaoua” (Chinatown), expressing their anger following the attack by 50 Chinese who were armed with swords and knives.  

• Over 400 Chinese families live in “Echnaoua” (Chinatown) neighbourhood in Bab Ezzouar through renting apartments and villas belonging to Algerian properties.
• In a move of solidarity by some of the wise people in the neighbourhood, some Chinese families supported them through providing them with milk and bread, while all the Chinese stayed at homes fearing revenge by the people there. All the Chinese shops were closed as well, while most of them were subjected to theft and burglary by the outsiders who have infiltrated inside Sunday’s confrontations, where they broke into the Chinese stores and stole PCs, money, beddings and goods for sale.
• Witnesses told Echorouk that they saw some of the opportunists, who broke into the Chinese shops and steal their goods, “We refuse such behaviours”.
• The protestors signed a petition addressed to the mayor, head of the municipality and the prosecutor, asking them to expel the Chinese residents, in turn, the mayor moved Monday morning to the neighbourhood where the clashes, and visited the Algerian victim’s family.
• Security services opened an investigation on the causes of the accident, and took pictures on the affects of the beatings suffered by the victim Abdelkrim Salouda.
• The medical examiner testimony showed that he had been beaten by the Chinese at the level of the head. On the other hand, the security services and riot police surrounded the entire neighbourhood’s entries in Bab Ezzouar, except the representatives of the Chinese Embassy in Algeria, who moved there at night and spoke to the Chinese families, while the neighbourhood is still living under siege all night fearing the outbreak of new clashes.

• The “Chi Yungs”: “We came here for work”

• Echorouk visited the Chinese family “Chi Yung”, consisting of a mother, a father, a sister in law, and kids in an apartment in “Echnaoua” (Chinatown) district. First, they refused to open the door but an Algerian helped us and assured them, Chi Yung said; “We are here to work only. We work with our Algerian brothers, and we have very good relations with them. We refuse to become the victim of one or many Chinese”.
• The father Chi Yung said these words while his wife and sister in law were hiding behind the stairs.