ALGIERS, Algeria — Organizers in Algeria are predicting huge demonstrations across the country’s major cities as protesters step up their demand for the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

It’s the fifth straight Friday since nationwide anti-Bouteflika protests began Feb. 22 that Algerians have taken to the streets.

Workers of Sonatrach, the national oil company whose executives are close to Bouteflika, held a symbolic sit-in Thursday in solidarity with the protests that span all sections of society including the country’s youth and doctors.

New Prime Minister Nourredine Bedoui is still struggling to form a government with many potential candidates sought to keep their distance from the unpopular president.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Algerians set to continue protest for Bouteflika to quit

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Organizers in Algeria are predicting huge demonstrations across the country's major cities as protesters step up their demand for the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

It's the fifth straight Friday since nationwide anti-Bouteflika protests began Feb. 22 that Algerians have taken to the streets.

Workers of Sonatrach, the national oil company whose executives are close to Bouteflika, held a symbolic sit-in Thursday in solidarity with the protests that span all sections of society including the country's youth and doctors.

New Prime Minister Nourredine Bedoui is still struggling to form a government with many potential candidates sought to keep their distance from the unpopular president. </s> ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Thousands of Algerians are demonstrating in the major cities of the oil-rich North African country, demanding the resignation of ailing, 82-year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

The number of protesters was much smaller than predicted by organizers, however, as rain appeared to dampen attendance on the fifth straight Friday since nationwide anti-Bouteflika protests began on Feb. 22.

Families joined professionals and students in the central squares of Algiers, the capital, holding signs reading “Get Out, Bouteflika” and “No Mandate Extension.”

Bouteflika last week indefinitely postponed April’s national election and overhauled the government. While he abandoned his bid for a fifth term in office, his simultaneous postponement of the election has critics worried that he intends to hold on to power indefinitely. He has been president since 1999.

Bouteflika, badly weakened by a 2013 stroke, has remained an enigma, with very few public appearances. The president returned earlier this month after two weeks in a Geneva hospital, but the exact state of his health is unclear.

Workers at Sonatrach, the national oil company whose executives are close to Bouteflika, held a symbolic sit-in Thursday in solidarity with the protests that span all sections of society.

New Prime Minister Nourredine Bedoui has promised to create a new cabinet within days to respond to the demands of Algeria’s demonstrators. Yet, Bedoui is still struggling to form a government, with many potential candidates seeking to keep their distance from the unpopular president. </s> ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algerian protesters and opposition leaders are cautiously welcoming President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's planned departure, but say it doesn't go far enough.

Former Prime Minister Ali Benflis and a moderate Islamist movement are among leading voices criticizing the move because it would leave the country's secretive, distrusted power structure in place.

A standoff is also intensifying between Bouteflika's entourage and that of the powerful army chief, who turned against the president amid mass protests over Bouteflika's 20-year rule.

Bouteflika bowed to mounting pressure Monday and announced he will step down by the end of his term April 28, according to his office. Protesters fear it will pave the way for a hand-picked successor instead of a truly democratic change of power.

Students are holding protests in Algiers on Tuesday, and demonstrators are already planning for new nationwide protests Friday. </s> ALGIERS (Reuters) - Hundreds of Algerians took to the streets of the capital late on Tuesday to celebrate the departure of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika after 20 years of power, residents said.

Young people were waving Algerian flags or driving in convoys through the city center, where on Feb. 22 mass protests broke out against the veteran ruler.

Bouteflika, 82, had earlier submitted his resignation, state media said. </s> Anti-government protesters thronged the streets of Algeria's capital Algiers Friday, saying moves by top loyalists to abandon ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika were not enough.

Rallies were expected to take place across the North African country, where protests broke out more than a month ago when Bouteflika announced his bid for a fifth term.

Demonstrators turned out in huge numbers despite a succession of loyalists deserting the president and calling for him to step down and make way for a government-led change of leadership.

About one million people took to the streets of Algiers on Friday to demand the resignation of Bouteflika, police officers at the scene told Reuters, in the biggest demonstration since unrest erupted six weeks ago.

Police helicopters circled overhead and riot police vans lined sensitive neighborhoods, but the mood was largely festive.

Activists angrily rejected those moves as desperate bids by key figures in Bouteflika's entourage to salvage their own grip on power and demanded that they too quit.

"Bouteflika you go, take Gaid Salah with you," and "FLN out" protesters shouted, referring to the armed forces chief of staff and the president's party.

From the early hours of Friday crowds of demonstrators, many of them young but also including army veterans of Algeria's 1990s civil war, packed the square outside the capital's main post office, which has become the epicenter of protests.

"We're fed up with those in power," the demonstrators chanted. "We want a new government".

Some waved the green, white and red Algerian flag or draped it over their shoulders, while others held banners with slogans and cartoons.

Some made lengthy journeys to take part in the protest.

"We're here to issue a final appeal to those in power: 'Take your bags and go'," said Amin, a 45-year-old who travelled to the capital from the port of Bejaia, nearly 200 kilometers (125 miles) away.

Earlier this month, 82-year-old Bouteflika, who uses a wheelchair and has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013, said he would not stand for re-election -- but also postponed the April vote.

His move angered Algerians who saw it as a ploy by those around him to extend his two decades in power. Tens of thousands again took to the streets demanding his immediate ouster.

Faced with persistent public anger, a succession of veteran Bouteflika loyalists deserted the president this week.

On Tuesday, Chief of Staff General Ahmed Gaid Salah, who was appointed by Bouteflika in 2004, called for him to step down or be declared medically unfit.

The chief of staff on Tuesday cited Article 102 of the constitution, under which a president can be removed if found unfit to rule.

Long a faithful Bouteflika supporter, Gaid Salah said on television it was "imperative" to find a way out of the crisis "which responds to the legitimate demands" of the people in line with the constitution.

Article 102 of Algeria's charter empowers the Constitutional Council to determine if the president is unable to do his job due to a serious or enduring illness, and asks parliament to declare him unfit. In this case, head of parliament's upper house, Abdelkader Bensaleh, would serve as interim president for 45 days.

However, the opposition believes the enforcement of the article is not sufficient to ensure a democratic transition and fair elections.

On Wednesday, Bouteflika's longtime coalition partner, the National Rally for Democracy (RND) of former Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, also called for him to step down.

The RND said it "recommends the resignation of the president... with the aim of smoothing the period of transition," in a statement signed by its leader Ouyahia.

A longtime supporter of the veteran president, the unpopular Ouyahia served as Bouteflika's prime minister three times since 2003 before being sacrificed on March 11 in a vain bid to calm the intensifying protests.

'All of you go'

The head of the powerful General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA), Abdelmadjid Sidi Said, also welcomed the army chief's call on Wednesday.

Applying Article 102 would constitute "the legal framework capable of overcoming the political crisis facing our country," he said.

Thursday saw the resignation of the president of Algeria's Business Leaders Forum, Ali Hadad, widely seen as a political tool of Bouteflika who had come under harsh criticism from protesters.

But the idea of Bouteflika's inner circle retaining their grip on power through a substitute leader drew short shrift from Friday's protesters.

Some chose humor to convey their rejection of the call for a government-led transition under Article 102.

"102 -- that number is out of service," said one placard held up by the crowd outside the main post office and telephone exchange. "Please call the people."

Others raised a banner saying: "We demand the implementation of Article 2019: All of you go."

"The way out is for Bouteflika to resign and for a transitional period to be run by another man than Bensaleh, who is part of the present regime," a protester in Algiers said.

"Those who have ruled Algeria over the past years and plundered public money will bow to the people's demands despite their attempt to cling to power," rights activist Abdel-Ghani Badi told dpa.

Elsewhere in Algeria, anti-Bouteflika demonstrators held peaceful marches in the provinces of Tizi Ouzou and Batna, local media reported.

The protesters, some cloaked in the national flag, chanted against the ruling elite: "You leave means you leave." </s> ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algerians took to the streets by the millions for the sixth straight Friday of nationwide protests, trying to push their ailing president from power and bring down an entire political system seen as corrupt and out of touch.

Security forces used a water cannon and lobbed tear gas against a crowd that broke through a blockaded street leading to the presidential palace — the only break in what have been massive but peaceful demonstrations.

For the first time, all three state TV channels showed the protests live — a stark difference since the mass marches started on Feb. 22 and news blackouts were ordered. It also reflected the changing balance of power within the ruling class as President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 82 and ailing after a 2013 stroke, loses key supporters.

Protesters marched in cities across the North African nation.

Tens of thousands massed in the boulevards of Algiers, dominated by young people and their families. Police helicopters circled overhead and riot police vans lined sensitive neighborhoods, but the mood was largely festive.

It's the first protest since the army chief called earlier this week for the constitutional process to declare Bouteflika unfit for office. Other politicians and parties backed the idea as a solution to the gas-rich country's political crisis.

The protests have turned the tables on the elite power structure, but it remained unclear what lies ahead.

A billboard above the Place Maurice Audin in Algiers read "Your excellency, The People," capturing the mood.

Protesters see the army chief's proposal as a way for the secretive political elite to keep their grip on power and name a hand-picked successor to Bouteflika, who has been largely out of the public eye since his stroke.

Anger at the constitutional process issue was central to Friday's protest. Many held signs calling for the departure of army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah, or referring to Article 102 of the constitution, which Salah proposed using to pave the way for Bouteflika's ouster.

One sign accused the political elite of being "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves." Another read "Not Moscow, Not Paris, Not Washington - The Choice should be Algerian," in reference to concerns of foreign interference in the crisis. A former French colony with close ties to France, Algeria was a powerful ally of Moscow in the Soviet era but in recent years has also become a key partner of the U.S. and Europe in fighting terrorism.

Frustration also targeted Bouteflika's brother, Said. A small group of protesters started shoving journalists from Ennahar Television, considered close to Said Bouteflika, shouting "Shame!," before other protesters separated them.

When the protests broke out last month, the demonstrators' anger was more focused on Bouteflika himself, and demands that he abandon his bid for a fifth term after 20 years in power.

Since then, Bouteflika has dropped his election bid, but also canceled the April 18 vote pending electoral reforms, raising fears he would cling to power indefinitely.

Bouteflika is credited with bringing peace to Algeria after the bloody civil war of the 1990s, but some of his most powerful supporters have turned against him this week.

The protesters are notably angry at corruption. An Algerian media executive who was detained Thursday and released hours later said he was arrested because he publicly denounced political corruption.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Around 10,000 Algerian-origin protesters rallied in Paris on Sunday, police said, in a demonstration against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, calling on him not to seek another term in office in next month's election.

The protesters gathered for the second weekend in a row at the Republique square in central Paris, while there were smaller demonstrations in other cities around France such as Marseille and Bordeaux.

"We need to get rid of the system," 24-year-old protester Ahmed Eddaidj, who was wrapped in an Algerian flag, told AFP in Paris.

The student, who has been in France for four years, added: "I'd like to go back to Algeria, but there's no work. We're looking for a better life."

Rachid Nekkaz - a businessman and political activist opposed to Bouteflika - was among those in Paris on Sunday after he was released by Swiss police.

Nekkaz, who was arrested on Friday at a Geneva hospital where Bouteflika had been receiving treatment, was carried briefly on the shoulders of a group of demonstrators.

France, which ruled Algeria for more than 100 years as a colonial power, is home to the largest population of Algerian-origin people outside of the north African country.

Around 1.7 million people of Algerian origin are estimated to live in France, according to national statistics agency INSEE.

Some members of the diaspora want French President Emmanuel Macron to take a firmer stand in support of the peaceful protests against ailing 82-year-old Bouteflika which began more than a fortnight ago.

But the Paris government is wary about being seen to interfere in its former territory and has been extremely cautious in its statements.

Opposition figure Ali Benflis, a former prime minister of Bouteflika who has called for him to step aside after 20 years in power, urged France to stay out of the crisis.

"France is a major power that we respect as an associate and a partner, but Algeria's problems cannot be resolved from the outside and no-one should interfere," he told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper in an interview.

One of Macron's close political allies, Francois Bayrou, called the peaceful demonstrations an "Algerian Spring" on Sunday and said it was "in many ways exemplary and essential."

But "it's not because these movements begin well that they end well," he told French media, adding that Islamist parties could try to benefit from the instability.

This article has been adapted from its original source. </s> ALGIERS (Reuters) - Thousands of Algerians rallied again on Friday to demand the immediate resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who is fighting for his political survival in the face of relentless protests and the desertion of long-time allies.

Defying heavy rain, the protesters brandished Algerian flags and pamphlets as they gathered in the same spot in the capital where a wave of demonstrations first erupted a month ago against Bouteflika’s 20-year rule.

“Rain will not prevent us from continuing pressure,” said student Ahmed Khoudja, 23, in a square in central Algiers.

The protests were expected to swell further after Friday prayers, as has happened on the four previous Fridays during this wave of demonstrations that kicked off on Feb 22.

“We stay here until the whole system goes,” said Mahmoud Timar, a 37-year old teacher.

Bouteflika, 82, rarely seen in public since suffering a stroke five years ago, bowed to the protesters last week by reversing plans to stand for a fifth term and promising an inclusive politics in Algeria, a major oil and gas producer.

But he stopped short of quitting and said he would stay on until a new constitution is adopted, effectively extending his present term. The move further enraged Algerians, and many of Bouteflika’s allies, from ruling party members to trade union leaders to tycoons, turned against him.

“We are close to victory. The system is divided,” said restaurant owner Rachid Zemmir, 55, at Friday’s rally.

In the most significant development in a month of demonstrations, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah on Wednesday threw the army’s weight behind the protesters, saying they had expressed “noble aims”.

Soldiers have stayed in their barracks through the unrest but the army has traditionally deeply influenced politics.

The generals have intervened in the past at momentous times, including cancelling an election which Islamists were poised to win in 1992, triggering a civil war in which an estimated 200,000 people were killed.

The ruling National Liberation Front party, known by its French acronym FLN, has also sided with the protesters.

In the past, Bouteflika and his inner circle of fellow veterans of the 1954-1962 war of independence against France, FLN officials and the military skillfully managed crises.

When the “Arab Spring” revolts toppled autocrats in neighboring countries, Bouteflika used oil revenues to secure loyalty — offering better salaries for state workers, housing and low-interest loans.

But the price of crude oil has dropped over the years and the young are desperate for jobs, an end to corruption and nepotism and a say in how the North African country is run.

Algerians who credited Bouteflika with negotiating an end to the civil war in the 1990s were eager for stability, even though they shared many of the frustrations which triggered revolts elsewhere.

While Bouteflika was adept at manipulating the opposition in the past, he now faces Algerians of all social classes and ages staging the biggest protests in decades.

Even if Bouteflika quits, it is not clear if the swelling protest movement can bring down the deep state - a secretive network of ruling party leaders, business tycoons and army generals long regarded as invincible.

These figures, who long managed politics in behind-the-scenes negotiations, may be happy to see Bouteflika go but are likely to resist any major political changes, as they have done in the past.
Algerians protest in the capital of Algiers against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in an effort to make him resign. It is estimated that tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands attended.