2019 marked a year of many political protests that spanned the globe. The wave of protests—the Global Protest Wave of 2019—took place in Africa, the Middle East, Hong Kong, France, Catalonia, and Latin America. In its 53rd week, the Algerian protest movement, known as “The Revolution of Smiles” or Hirak (the Arabic word for movement), began twelve days after Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced he was running for a fifth presidential term. Algerians, outraged by his decision, demonstrated across Algeria on Friday, February 22. Thousands of protestors took to the streets of the capital, Algiers, where it has been illegal to protest since June 2001 when thousands of Kabylie demonstrators demanded justice from the government’s abuse of power.
Hirak protestors called for a total overhaul of the Algerian government, starting with Bouteflika stepping down from his long-held position as president. Chants calling for a civilian state, not a military state (دولة مدنية ماشي عسكرية) became a regular part of the protest rhetoric, along with a reminder to the news organizations and Algerian government that the Algerian’s revolution is a peaceful one: “silmiya, silmiya”.
After Bouteflika announced he would not run for a fifth term on March 11, the slogan “Yetnahaw ga’a!” (get rid of them all) became a rallying cry. Protestors believed, and continue to believe, Algeria cannot be considered free until those who have contributed, participated, and strengthened Bouteflika’s 20-year reign resign from their positions in government and face persecution for injustices and crimes they have committed.
An Algerian man holds up a political sign during a march in Algiers. Asiya Haouchine.
Driving through the streets of Algeria, one can hear powerful political songs playing from phones and radios—people often singing along. Among those songs that have become the sound of protest are “Libérer l'Algérie” written by various artists supporting the movement, “La liberté” by Soolking, and “Allô le système!” and “Toxic” by Raja Meziane. Meziane has been exiled due to her politically charged songs, but continues to create music that has become part of the movement.
In a country where more than two-thirds of the population is under 30, it is the youth who are most negatively impacted by the current system. Staggering unemployment, drugs, delinquency, and harragas—North Africans who flee their country (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia) illegally on makeshift boats, burning their identification papers in the hope of finding a better life in Europe—are some of the challenges the Algerian youth face. It is no surprise, then, that the protests have been led by young Algerians. The Hirak inspired many Algerians—young and old—to stop being complacent and to do something to inspire hope and create change for the country they love. From babies in strollers to elders walking with canes, Algeria has not seen her citizens rise up to this degree since the Algerian war for independence. They are united and determined to be peaceful—a goal that is doubly important for most Algerians who lived through the bloody 10-year civil war of the 90s and early 2000s.
The movement succeeded in imprisoning many key figures of Bouteflika’s regime, but Algeria still has a ways to go before its government enacts the changes its citizens demand. A year later, Algerian citizens continue to protest. The crowd buzzes with energy and excitement—their passion for justice and love for their country has not dulled with time.
Asiya Haouchine
is an Algerian-American writer who graduated from the University of Connecticut in May 2016, earning a BA in journalism and English. She was an editorial intern and contributing writer for Warscapes magazine and the online/blog editor for Long River Review. She is currently studying for her Master's in Library and Information Science.
@AsiyaHaou