Algerian-origin demonstrators in France staged protests against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's potential re-election bid on Sunday, with gatherings in Paris and regional cities.
Demonstrators gathered for the second consecutive weekend in Paris's Republique square, while smaller protests occurred in Marseille and Bordeaux. A 24-year-old Algerian student in France, Ahmed Eddaidj, said the movement seeks to dismantle the political system, stating, "We need to get rid of the system." He expressed frustration over limited job opportunities in Algeria, despite his desire to return.
France hosts an estimated 1.7 million people of Algerian origin, a legacy of its 123-year colonial rule over Algeria. While some diaspora members urged French President Emmanuel Macron to support the protests, the French government has avoided direct intervention, citing concerns over sovereignty.
Opposition figure Ali Benflis, a former prime minister, called for non-interference, stating, "Algeria's problems cannot be resolved from the outside." Meanwhile, Macron ally Francois Bayrou described the demonstrations as an "Algerian Spring" but warned of potential risks from Islamist groups exploiting the unrest.
