Algerian students restart weekly protests cut off by virus

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Hundreds of students have restarted their weekly Tuesday protest marches that were called off last spring due to the coronavirus. The march came eight days after the Hirak pro-democracy movement reappeared in streets around the country to mark its second anniversary and days after the weekly Friday marches restarted. Hirak’s peaceful protests helped force long-time President Abdelaziz Bouteflika from office in 2019. His successor, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has promised reform of the system marked by corruption under Bouteflika and with the shadow of the army ever-present. One group of students cried out “Civilian state and not a military state.”