Thousands of Algerians are on the streets against the regime and the elections

Large crowds of demonstrators took to the streets of downtown Algiers to demand a new "independence" on Friday, the 37th anniversary of the liberation war against the French occupation.

In the absence of an official census of the number of demonstrators, and difficult to estimate, this demonstration is reminiscent of the days of mobility in its first weeks, when it began on 22 February.

The demonstrations of Algeria for the 37th week, Friday, coincided with the anniversary of the revolution of liberation (November 1, 1954), which ended France's colonization of the country.

Amid tight security, thousands marched in the center of the capital in marches, expressing their refusal to hold presidential elections scheduled for December 12, demanding the departure of the remaining symbols of the regime of Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Thousands of Algerians took to the streets on Thursday night. All the cities of the country witnessed night rallies refusing to hold the elections on the date set by the Authority, where demonstrators raised banners in which they considered that the election paper will not lead to regime change and achieve the demands of the popular movement, calling for it to be dropped.

These demonstrations coincide with a speech delivered by the interim President, Abdul Qadir bin Saleh, on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the Revolution Day, in which he refused to organize and hold elections.

Bin Saleh stressed that «the state will address all the maneuvers carried out by some quarters», pointing out that «the priorities of the stage impose the success of the upcoming presidential elections, and not leave any opportunity for those who want to circumvent the endeavor».

Ben Saleh called on Algerians to make the elections a "national wedding," and to be prepared to confront those with intentions and actions against the homeland.

He warned against undermining the right to vote by invoking freedom of expression and demonstration, as stated in a speech broadcast on Algerian television.

Before that, Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ahmed Kayed Saleh had asserted that the Algerian people, especially the young people, were determined to go to the presidential elections, APS reported.