Algerian Revolutionaries After Rejecting the Fifth Term: “Leave, All of You”

Statement by the Revolutionary Socialists

People who had never known a leader other than Bouteflika rose up against their eternal ruler. Those who lived through the “Black Decade”—caught between military rule and terrorist groups—overcame their fears and illusions, bringing the masses back to the forefront and forcing Bouteflika to withdraw his candidacy for a fifth term.

Even before fully toppling the regime and ousting Bouteflika, the Algerian uprising had already achieved a significant leap from a past that confined Algerian society to a future shaped by the people.

When the Arab revolutions erupted in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, and Libya, Algeria remained calm amidst the wave of uprisings. This calm was not due to satisfaction or acceptance but rather a fear of chaos that the regime had successfully instilled. Any attempt at opposition or protest was portrayed as a return to the 1990s—a decade marked by a bitter conflict between the Algerian authorities and terrorist groups, for which Algerian society paid a high price. This period was used by the regime as a scare tactic to deter any potential popular movement.

Today, after Algerians have risen, the first thing they dispelled was the illusion of stability represented by Bouteflika. This is the most crucial step taken by the Algerian uprising, opening the way for a future unshackled by the past and free from illusions.

While Algeria remained quiet as revolutions erupted around it, today, in the face of counter-revolutions that have established authoritarian regimes, the Algerian uprising reignites hope in Algeria and the surrounding regions. It sends a message that people who have suffered from tyranny, exploitation, and oppression can renew their hope whenever it starts to fade.