Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Police, Demonstrators Clash in Algeria

   VOA News  22 January 2011
   Demonstrators,  foreground,  asking  for  political  change  in  their
   country,  face riot policemen, background, in Algiers, Algeria, 22 Jan
   2011

Photo: AP

   Demonstrators,  foreground,  asking  for  political  change  in  their
   country, face riot policemen, in Algiers, Algeria, 22 Jan 2011

   Demonstrators  and  police have clashed in the Algerian capital, after
   opposition  supporters  tried  to  hold  a  protest  in  defiance of a
   government ban.
   Police   wielding   batons  scuffled  with  several  hundred  chanting
   demonstrators  who  were  trying  to  march  to  a government building
   Saturday  in  Algiers.   Protest organizers say several demonstrators
   were hurt. Officials say seven police officers were injured.
   Rising  discontent over high unemployment and food prices have sparked
   several   protests   in  Algeria  this  month,  similar  to  those  in
   neighboring  Tunisia  that  led  to  last  week's  ouster  of Tunisian
   President Zine Abidine Ben Ali.
   Some  protesters  in  Algiers  waved  the Tunisian flag along with the
   Algerian flag Saturday and called for democratic reforms.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
   NEW: Follow our Middle East reports on [1]Twitter
   and discuss them on our [2]Facebook page.

References

   1. http://twitter.com/VOAMidEast
   2. http://www.facebook.com/pages/VOAMiddleEastVoices/124360240958667?    v=wall

.