April 2011 - Centre for Civil Society - University of KwaZulu-Natal

Revolt in the Maghreb
Solidarity with the Algerian and Tunisian masses!
Cedric Gerome, CWI 12 january 2011
With the new year having hardly begun, an important wave of revolt is
hitting North Africa. While in Tunisia, an unprecedented period of protest
is shaking the Ben Ali dictatorship, for over a week, Algeria has been also
overcome by a series of popular “riots”. These have involved, until now,
most notably young people, in a country where the population below 30
years old represents 75% of the total. This massive unrest reveals to the
eyes of the world the depth of the despair and rage of this ‘no future’
generation, sharpened by the effects of the international crisis of
capitalism.
This wave of riots, which started in the western suburbs of Algiers, rapidly
swept to other cities such as Oran, Blida, Bouira, Tizi Ouzou, Dejlfa,
Ouargla, Constantine and many other parts of the country. Most of these
places have not experienced riots of this scale for over two decades. Even
governmental figures, if they are worth anything, are forced to recognise
that about 24 wilayas (regions) have been hit by the movement - in other
words, half the country.
Day and night, groups of youths have engaged in violent clashes with the
police, blocked roads with burning tyres or tree trunks, and in some cases
attacking public buildings and everything that symbolises the authority of
the state and the wealth of the rich. Even if riots in Algeria are far from a
new phenomenon, their present scale, as well as their rapid geographical
extension, giving them a national character, could be a signal of explosions
of greater proportions in the near future.
In the past, the regime had been able to contain such explosions of anger
as isolated incidents. Now, it seems that a new breach has been opened,
and many working class people have been looking towards the youth with
sympathy and inspiration, though not always approving of their methods of
action, especially when acts of looting or destruction have been involved.
Some reports state that in some areas, inhabitants have been organising in
order to discourage young people from some counter-productive acts of
vandalism.
A ‘pre-1988’ climate
But these acts, carried out by a minority, cannot eclipse the overall