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Testimony
from a participant at the demonstration in Algiers, Thursday,
14 June 2001, asserts that "everything was planned by the
security forces for provocation and destruction. A lot of them
were wearing civilian clothes and did attack the police and start
fires and destroy a lot of things. Then the security forces developed
a very strong reaction against the pacific marchers. They even
fired against them..." According to this witness, 17 deaths
during the demonstrations are confirmed so far by the participants.
Over 400 were injured, and two of these died from their wounds
yesterday. Over 500 were arrested.
The witness also asserted that real bullets had been used.
Other witnesses, residents of Algiers who were not participants
in the demonstration, had stated the same on the phone during
the demonstrations. One, who had seen four youths killed, and
possibly a fifth whom he was not sure was dead, was in obvious
shock, repeating, "it was horrible, it was horrible."
The participant claimed that marchers from Kabylia "arrested"
"some of the young who started attacking the police and burning
buses," were found with "police and military identity
cards on them." He reiterated that the march had been planned
peacefully, but "everything was done to sabotage the march."
Riots have continued in Bejaia, Tizi-Ouzou, and today reached
Setif, where according to another witness, government buildings
were attacked.
Algerian authorities are saying they will not authorize
any more marches in Algiers. Amazigh in Algeria are expressing
fear for the status of those under arrest, whom they are afraid
might "disappear" as has occurred to thousands of other
Algerians in the last decade of civil unrest. According to Minister
of the Interior Yazid Zerhouni, some 300 were arrested, among
them 11 minors. He announced they would be released this past
Saturday. But the demonstrators want to know what has happened
to the rest, presently unaccounted for.
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