Violent protests in Algeria biggest shanty town

Residents of the biggest shantytown in Algiers demonstrated on Wednesday as they did not benefit from social rented housing.

• Tens of anti-riot policemen intervened to stop the protesters who set on fire, threw glass bottles and stones.
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• The demonstrations took place in the area of Gué de Constantine at around 10 am. The police had to use more than 10 tear gas bombs in the shanty town.
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• Children, young men, women and even old people protested to claim for the right to benefit from social rented housing. “We have not seen the light for more than 24 years. We suffered from the terror years and non one cared about us. When the bloody war was over, we were accused of terrorism,” said a protesting man.
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• “Can any government agree to see their citizens becoming drug-addicts? We are suffering from diseases and misery and we saw our children being killed on the railway,” a crying woman told Echorouk.
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• The demonstrators said they do not trust authorities. “They are cheating on us. We will not submit and we will continue protesting. If we do not get anything, we will move to the mountains to live there.”
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• The police arrested about 20 young men while the traffic has been blocked for many hours.