The new Corona virus succeeded, at least temporarily, as the Algerian regime failed, stopping the march of the “movement” that is shaking the pillars of power 13 months ago, despite the analysts' expectation that the peaceful uprising will continue in a different way, to re-ignite with the end of the epidemic.
And the professor at the Institute of Political Science in Paris, historian Jean-Pierre Filiu, warned that “if President (Majid) Taboun benefits from this unprecedented crisis, by appearing as an active head of state at the present time, he risks in return to pay a heavy price in the event of any deficiency in Dealing with the pandemic, and when the time comes, the protest movement can return with renewed strength. ”
The development of the epidemic forced the movement's activists to call for the suspension of marches and gatherings on their own.
For the first time since the start of the movement on February 22, 2019, the streets of the Algerian capital were empty, Friday, the day of the 57th weekly rally, while thousands took to the streets in the previous week.
maturity
Even for some demonstrators, it was necessary to accept the idea that the virus was not "from the industry of power" to break the movement, as was said on social networks.
The journalist, Akram Belkaid, wrote in his column in the French-language newspaper "L'Occidiane Doron" (daily Oran): "The request to suspend the movement does not mean his betrayal, but rather the recognition that there are priorities in life, the first of which is (good) health," and he stressed that "the system He rubbed his hands like a funeral entrepreneur, rejoicing in good future deals, and for him all that mattered was the end of the movement, (but) what he did not know was that the anger would return and would be much stronger.
Indeed, three months after the presidential elections, which witnessed a large boycott rate and the election of Abdul Majeed Tabun, the regime has not yet succeeded in overcoming this peaceful and pluralistic protest movement, which has no leadership, and everything indicates that the movement will adapt to the new conditions that Imposed by the pandemic.
The official ban on protests, announced by the government on Tuesday, was accompanied by the decision of the activists of the movement to suspend the demonstrations, but it was not a response to it.
Louisa Dres Ait Hammadouche, professor of political science at the University of Algiers, indicated that this "reveals the maturity and political conscience that allows for the classification of priorities."
From “peaceful” to “healthy”
Many health professionals fear that hospitals that already suffer from stress will not be able to fully support patients, in the event of a large outbreak of the epidemic in this vast country of 45 million people, where 17 deaths and more than 200 confirmed cases have been recorded. .
"The Corona virus will not kill the movement, but will reveal the health sector problems in our country," said Yamina Rahou, researcher at the Center for Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology in Oran (west).
According to her, the movement will "think about recrystallizing itself, and (the members of the movement) will not lack ingenuity or intelligence, and they will express themselves in other ways and with other actions."
For example, activists moved from the slogan of "Salamieh", which was widely spread in the movement, to the "healthy" slogan that accompanies preventive awareness-raising and solidarity movements.
This is what young people have already begun to do, as in the popular Bab El-Oued district of Algiers, where volunteers in the name of "health mobilization" have cleared the entrances of buildings and streets and near closed shops.
"It is necessary to preserve the torch of the movement," said political analyst Mohamed Hanad. "Several suggestions have emerged on this topic such as (dead cities) on Fridays, roads on household utensils, the intensification of correspondence on social networks, and so on."
He added that all of this came "while preserving the hope to resume the marches as soon as possible."
Activists have moved from the "peaceful" slogan, which was widely spread in the movement, to the "healthy" slogan accompanying preventive education and solidarity movements.