Unknown persons attack protesting municipal guards in Algeria

A group of unknown persons on Tuesday threw bear bottles, stones and fire works on municipal guards in Algiers wounding 11 of them.

• The municipal guards were among others in a sit-in in the Place des Martyrs claiming their social rights. Ten of them attempted to set fire on themselves as they were desperate after a four-day-sit-in.
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• Municipal guards’ national coordinator Choib Hakim told Echorouk a group of unknown persons surrounded the guards and threw stones, bear bottles and fire works on them.
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• Witnesses said anti-riots police asked the protesters to leave the place as a foreign delegation would pass by. Yet, the municipal guards refused to move.
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• “If the municipal guards who are claiming their rights are outlaws as it is said by the interior minister, what about students? Is any one who claims for his or her rights is an outlaw?” said a protester.
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• “Reality shows that 98 percent of the municipal guards took part in the protests. We will stand up and we are not afraid of the interior minister’s threats. We will obtain our right in a peaceful way. We ask President Bouteflika to intervene.”