Algeria protesters at crossroads as Islamists take spotlight

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algeria’s pro-democracy movement is at a crossroads two years after it ousted the country’s long-serving leader. There are fears it’s been infiltrated by a group with links to an Islamist party outlawed during a dark era of strife in the 1990s. Members of the Europe-based Rachad group do not advertise their presence. But it’s widely believed they are among the thousands of protesters of the Hirak movement marching each Friday. Algeria’s president and its powerful military have castigated Rachad, without naming it. Some protesters are shunning the marches amid concerns that Rachad may be using them for an agenda of its own. The group claims it’s against extremism and advocates non-violence.