An Algerian activist said police and thugs attacked protesters in the nation’s capital during anti-government demonstrations on Saturday, wounding dozens in the crowd.
Khalil Abdul Moumin, the general-secretary of the Algerian League for Human Rights, said protesters congregating at the May 1 Square in Algiers, which commemorates international labor day.
They “were faced with thousands of police officers” as they prepared to march toward Martyrs Square, which memoralizes the people who died in Algeria’s war of independence last century.
“They attacked us and used gangs of thugs to start a fight with us,” Moumin told CNN, noting that dozens of protesters were injured, including a parliament member and a union leader.
“I was attacked myself by the thugs who tried to stab me, I was rescued by the protesters in the last minute,” he said. “All of this happened in front of the police and they did nothing to stop it.”
News footage showed pro- and anti-government protesters scuffling as helicopters circled overhead.
Journalist Said Chitour said he didn’t see police attack anti-government protesters during the demonstration, which spanned over more than four hours. However, he saw thugs insult and push protesters, and throw bottles, cups and sharp tools at them. They sang pro-government songs as police separate the opposing protesters.
CNN Wire Staff
