As we reported in the Trends Journal in February 2019, Algeria was being rocked by protests following the decision by then-President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to run for a fifth term. His regime was accused of having taken control of revenues from the country’s natural resources and used them to pay off political cronies and financial supporters.
Pressure from protests led by the movement Hirak, also known as the Revolution of Smiles, forced Bouteflika to resign. Those protests were wholly peaceful.
Algerians, particularly the youth and poorer classes, have suffered chronic corruption, economic stagnation, and unemployment for over a decade. A steep decline in oil and gas prices has further weakened already deteriorating economic conditions.
Back to the Streets
As with many other nations where protests were raging in 2019, they were stopped by the Algerian government in the name of fighting the COVID War.
Last week, thousands of young protesters in Algeria were back on the streets holding rallies in the country demanding major reforms to its ruling system and for a press in the country that is unbiased and free, according to reports.
Reporters Without Borders identified Algeria as one of the worst countries in the world when it comes to press freedom. It now ranks 146 out of 180 countries in the category, a drop of 27 places since 2015, an AFP report noted. The country has even clashed with international news agencies, including France 24, and threatened to withdraw the broadcaster.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: In America, the nation that attacks foreign countries, destroying entire nations and killing millions in the name of bringing freedom and democracy, ranks 45th in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, just ahead of Papa New Guinea.
“Freedom means expressing myself how I want and not how you want,” one sign at a protest read, according to the AFP. These protesters seem to have three main goals: they want a free and unbiased press, a new ruling system, and an “independent judiciary.” The report pointed out that although Bouteflika did not run again, the government consists of many from the old guard, IPS Journal reported.
Some news outlets have compared the protests in Algeria to the Spring Awakening that took place in countries during the Arab Spring ten years ago.
The country has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak and food prices there have tripled.
TOP TREND FOR 2021: “YOUTH REVOLUTION”: As we had forecast in December 2020, in 2021, the uprisings and revolutions that were sweeping the world before the COVID War will accelerate dramatically, as billions of people sink deeper into economic despair.
In response, governments will again attempt to use the COVID War as a “legal” justification to prohibit protests. But, as Gerald Celente says, “When people lose everything and have nothing left to lose, they lose it.” And lose it, they will.
Thus, we maintain our forecast that protests will escalate into civil wars, and civil wars will spread to regional wars.
Also, as citizens by the millions flee their nations for neighboring safe havens, especially Europe, anti-immigration populist movements will accelerate, with new political parties, some youth-driven, overthrowing establishment parties.
