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About 70% of the countries population is 30 or beneath so this is the first time those people could experience a peaceful protest

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Algeria will hold presidential elections on 4 July, interim leader Abdelkader Bensalah has announced.

It comes after a wave of protests led long-term President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 82, to resign last week.

Demonstrations continued on Wednesday, with more expected.

The temporary appointment of Mr Bensalah, speaker of the Algerian parliament's upper house, has frustrated some protesters who hoped for more radical change.

Following the announcement, crowds took to the streets of the capital, Algiers, demanding he step down.

Waving goodbye to the only president they ever knew

How Algeria's army sacrificed a president to keep power

Mr Bensalah had pledged to hold free elections within 90 days in line with the country's constitution, but many see the 77-year-old as too close to the former president.

What do protesters want?

Protests started in February with anger focused on the country's ruling elite, not just Mr Bouteflika,

Placards and online posts have been demanding an end to "Le Pouvoir", or the establishment, meaning that all those around the former president should also go.

About 70% of the country's population is under 30, and youth unemployment is high.

On Wednesday, the country's army chief, Lt Gen Gaid Salah, made his first public address since Mr Bensalah's appointment.

In a televised speech, he cautioned protesters about demands that could undermine the country's constitutional integrity.

He also said the judiciary should investigate "the whole gang" - a term used for the former president's inner circle.

Mr Bouteflika was considered by many as being a front for a group of businessmen, politicians and military officials who were said to really control the country.

Protests so far have largely been peaceful, although tear gas and water cannon were used by security forces on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Algeria sets July election after protests

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Algeria will hold presidential elections on 4 July, interim leader Abdelkader Bensalah has announced. It comes after a wave of protests led long-term President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 82, to resign last week. Demonstrations continued on Wednesday, with more expected. The temporary appointment of Mr Bensalah, speaker of the Algerian parliament's upper house, has frustrated some protesters who hoped for more radical change.

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In the 1990's the Algerian government banned protest about the government leading this protest to be monumental.

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Protesters chant slogans in front of a policeman during a demonstration in Algeria. (Reuters)

Opposition parties and figures in Algeria, not represented at parliament, appealed to opposition deputies to take the necessary measures to overturn a ban on staging demonstrations.

They called on the lawmakers to resort to the powers granted to them by the amended 2016 constitution to abort laws and procedures in case they breach the constitution.

The matter is related to a 1991 law that puts restrictions on demonstrations and to a 2001 government decree that bans protests in the capital for "security concerns".

This appeal is led by former ministers, journalists, lawyers and heads of parties as part of their efforts to stand against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's running for a fifth term.

Former Judge Zubeida Assoul, head of Al Rokei Wal Adala Party, is leading this mission.

She announced during a press conference on Tuesday that she sent a message to opposition lawmakers, urging them to exercise their powers to attempt to overturn the ban.

Assoul slammed the government for abusing the 1991 law and 2001 decree to clamp down on freedom.

Clause 87 of the constitution stipulates that 50 members of the Council of the Nation (Upper Chamber) and 30 members of the People's National Assembly (Lower Chamber) can submit a request to the constitutional council to challenge the constitutionality of any law issued by parliament.

In 1991, the government amended the protest law at a time when Algeria was suffering from terrorist attacks and after the army intervened to abolish the results of parliamentary elections that saw Islamists claim a huge victory.

In June 2001, then Prime Minister Ali Benflis issued an executive decree that prohibits rallies in the capital, following violent popular protests.

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Algeria Opposition Seeks to Overturn Ban on Protests

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Protesters chant slogans in front of a policeman during a demonstration in Algeria. (Reuters) Opposition parties and figures in Algeria, not represented at parliament, appealed to opposition deputies to take the necessary measures to overturn a ban on staging demonstrations.

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The Algerian citizens had their voices heard unlike other protests that happen throughout the world

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Algeria's protests are the surprise to watch in the energy sector: RBC's Helima Croft

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The election was postponed for July 4 to find a suitable person.

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Algeria sets July 4 presidential election after mass protests

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A man carries a national flag during a protest against the appointment of interim president, Abdelkader Bensalah demanding radical changes to the political system in Algiers, Algeria on April 10, 2019 (Reuters)

Algeria will hold a presidential election on July 4, a statement from the presidency said on Wednesday.

No further details were immediately given. On Tuesday, interim president Abdelkader Bensalah had said he would organise free elections within 90 days.

Earlier on Wednesday, Algeria's army chief said he expected to see members of the ruling elite in the major oil and natural gas-producing country prosecuted for corruption and that he would support a transition towards elections.

Lieutenant General Gaed Salah's comments were the strongest hint yet that the military would play its traditional role as kingmaker after the ailing 82-year-old Abdelaziz Bouteflika bowed to popular pressure and quit on April 2 after 20 years in power.

"The army will meet the people's demands," said Salah, addressing officers and soldiers at a military base. "The judiciary has recovered its prerogative and can work freely."
'The gang'
He referred to the ruling caste as "the gang," a term people have used in the protests to describe Bouteflika's inner circle, which encompassed retired intelligence officials, oligarchs, members of the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) and some veterans of the 1954-62 war of independence against France.

The army chief of staff urged the judiciary to reopen a corruption case against oil and gas giant Sonatrach, an object of resentment for many Algerians who accuse their leaders of stealing the North African nation's wealth.

More than one in four people under the age of 30, some 70 percent of the population, are unemployed; one of the central grievances of protesters who want the economy liberalised and diversified to reduce its reliance on energy.

In 2012, a series of scandals shook Sonatrach, which was tightly controlled by Bouteflika loyalists. Its CEO and other executives were imprisoned for graft offences.
Watching chaos unfold
The army patiently monitored the unrest, which started on February 22, from the sidelines. Then Salah intervened, declaring Bouteflika - rarely seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013 - unfit to rule.

If Bouteflika had seen through his original plan to run for a fifth term despite growing grassroots opposition, that would have put the military under pressure to restore order, instead of focusing on swaying politics from the shadows.

"It is unreasonable to manage the transition period without institutions that organise and oversee this operation," said Salah, lending support to interim leaders.

Algeria's generals are highly sensitive to instability. In the early 1990s, the army cancelled an election that the religious right was poised to win, touching off a shattering civil war that killed an estimated 200,000 people.

"The army is pushing hard to get the protesters to back its plan to hold elections in 90 days, keeping the transition within the constitutional framework," independent analyst Ferrahi Farid said before the announcement of the election date.

The military has faced little resistance from protesters; rather, their fury has been directed at what is popularly described as the fortress - an FLN-associated old guard that has been entrenched for decades.
A wary populace
Still, some Algerians were wary after hearing Salah's pledges. "We're happy with the army urging the prosecution of corrupt people. But we will not give up on other demands," said 25-year-old student Nabil Arrachi.

In central Algiers, the site of mass marches on successive Fridays since the unrest began, teacher Halim Hachni sat in a coffee shop contemplating his country's future and wondering about the army's role in it.

"From the constitutional point of view, I think the army cannot intervene directly by sacking current interim officials and naming new ones," he said.

Ennahar TV said the interior ministry had issued licences for 10 new political parties.

While Algeria has about 15 opposition parties, they are seen as weak, and the ministry's move appeared to be aimed at placating protesters seeking a greater degree of democracy.

Parliament on Tuesday named Bensalah, the upper house chairman for almost 20 years, as caretaker president. That move failed to placate protesters, who quickly gathered in the thousands in Algiers to demand a removal of the elite and wholesale reforms.

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Algeria sets July 4 presidential election after mass protests

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Algeria will hold a presidential election on July 4, a statement from the presidency said on Wednesday. No further details were immediately given. On Tuesday, interim president Abdelkader Bensalah had said he would organise free elections within 90 days.

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The goals of the protest was accomplished by Abdelalziz Bouteflika resigning

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Algeria’s Bouteflika resigns amid protests, pressure from army

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On March 11 of this year citizens from all over Algeria partaken in a peaceful protest.

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The Algerian citizens set out to protest their current president Abdelalziz Bouteflika and announced that he is running for his fifth term

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Algeria’s Leader Defies Protests to Seek Fifth Term

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Instead of using violence the citizens decided to use humor

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Algerian citizens protesting against their president, Abdelalziz Bouteflika, have been heard. The 82-year-old politician officially announced on March 11 that he will not run for a fifth term and that presidential elections, initially planned for April 18, will be postponed.

For more than two weeks Algerians from all ages and social backgrounds protested peacefully calling for an end to Bouteflika's regime. He has been sick and silent for years, and protesters dismissed his capacity to rule.

Bouteflika has been ruling since April 1999, and many of those now protesting against him have never been able to demonstrate before. Political protests were banned and repressed during the bloody decade of the 1990s because of terrorism and the state of emergency that followed.

With 45% of the Algerian population under the age of 25, young people who've taken to the streets to protest in 2019 never experienced such a regime. In their nonviolent protests, they used technology and diverted popular iconic brands and advertising slogans to raise awareness of their calls for a fresh set of political leaders.

Positive messages flooding the web

Algerian millennials thrive on positive messages. They flooded the web with images of young demonstrators kissing, handing flowers to police officers and women on international women's day, distributing water bottles, volunteering for first aid or encouraging people to clean the streets after the demonstrations. This galvanised Algerians' pride, and surprised many who know little about a country that has largely remained closed to tourism.

Their actions during the protests were in stark contrast to the past regime. They've been eager to emphasise the difference between their open-mindedness and aspirations for change and the symbolic closure of the country.

Whenever spontaneity was muzzled - on national television for instance - young people retaliated by staging debates in the streets that respected the diversity of opinions.

Many have criticised the country's millennials for "being asleep", embittered by the lack of prospects in Algeria and obsessed with an European Eldorado. Yet, their attachment to the country, and their refusal to destroy public spaces during the protests showed how strongly they feel about the future of their country.

'Only Chanel can be N°5'

They may not yet have much access to employment, but the protesters showed real creativity during the demonstrations. Local media headlines called it a "renaissance" of the Algerian nation.

Humour became a central weapon of their resistance, crossing borders thanks to the hyper connectivity of the millennial protesters.

Young people who often dream of wider access to global markets, used iconic brands, films and series as political resources. For example, memes hijacking the iconic taglines of Marlboro advertising went viral, such as: "You are in a bad shape ('Mal Barré'), your system is seriously damaging our health."

DR, Author provided

Another sign imitated the black and white typography of an iconic Chanel perfume advert to poke fun at Bouteflika's attempts to run for a firth term. It read: "Only Chanel can be N°5." Another sign shouted: "Look at your Rolex, it's time to go."

N.O., Author provided

The YouTube logo became "YouNamar" for "Y'a en a marre" ("We have enough"), while other signs imitating Wifi adverts claim: "Connected people, disconnected system." Elsewhere, a mock-up of a Microsoft message claimed "Your 5.0 system needs to be rebooted", while another poster showed a computer folder struggling to install "democracy in Algeria".

These messages serve two main purposes for the young Algerians. They know they are being watched, within the country and outside it. By using such references they insist that while they feel estranged from Algeria's current regime, they aspire to radically change it.

A strong connection to the world

The Algerian regime underestimated young people's ability to mobilise online. The older generations had lived through an era with a single, socialist party system, product shortages and the absence of global brands.

But over the past few decades, today's young people have grown up with access to an increased number of imports of international brands into Algeria which have brought with them new ideologies. This mass of global reference points have shifted the aspirations of young people.

At the same time, young political leaders have emerged in countries where Algerians have relatives, such as Justin Trudeau in Canada, Barack Obama in the US or Emmanuel Macron in France. Such phenomena acted as powerful catalysts and motivation for change, connecting them to the wider world, which they feel they have been shut out from for years.

While Algerian millenials seek this global connection to millennials elsewhere, my research shows that the mechanisms involved are not simply about absorbing a global culture and erasing Algerian culture. Rather, it's a complex relationship, that hasn't yet descended into aggressive nationalism.

For example, a recent study published with my colleagues explained how the iconic, century-old Algerian soda brand, Hamoud Boualem, competes with the Coca-Cola brand which appeared in the Algerian market much later. Yet the competition between the brands didn't divide consumers between factions of hardcore nationalists and staunch lovers of America. Consumers appreciate the heritage of their Algerian soda, without condemning the American giant.

The awakening of Algeria

N.O, Author provided (No reuse)

The behaviours and consumption patterns of young Algerians demonstrate how they've become accustomed to a globalised world, but at the same time take pride in Algerian society, free from the burden and influence of the global North.

Diverting brand slogans to demand democratic freedom is part of the same phenomenon: love for the country, pride and a sense of autonomy and responsibility. The recent demonstrations have shown how young people have invented their own style of protest with humour and pacifism, a way of claiming it can also reinvent its own society.

An inscription on an Algiers wall expressed it really well:

For the first time I don't want to leave you, my Algeria.

And using humour, another poster condemned any attempt at interference from the US.

Dear USA there is no more oil left. Please stay away unless you want olive oil.

Such acts also show that young Algerians are not only aware of their history but also know how to capture the essence of it, to twist it and turn it into a new form of Algerian identity.

Young Algerians have just shaken up an entire country. Let's now hope that they can translate their energy into real political change.

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Algeria: how millennials used humour and creativity to force Abdelalziz Bouteflika to stand aside

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Algerian citizens protesting against their president, Abdelalziz Bouteflika, have been heard. The 82-year-old politician officially announced on March 11 that he will not run for a fifth term and that presidential elections, initially planned for April 18, will be postponed.