More than 80 police officers were injured on Friday in the Algerian capital as protests against the country's ruling regime continued. Around 200 demonstrators were arrested. The weekly protests have been largely peaceful but the latest rally resulted in clashes with anti-riot police firing teargas in an attempt to disperse a crowd of several hundred young people in the city center. They are calling for the removal of President Abdelkader Bensalah who replaced former leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika last week after he resigned. However many see Bensalah as to close to the old regime. His nomination as interim leader sparked fresh protests. Mass demonstrations in recent weeks have called for a renewal of the political system and a transition period in which key figures from the regime would be excluded. According to Algeria's constitution, Bensalah can only stay in office for 90 days and cannot stand in elections planned for July 4, however that has not stopped protesters calling for him to stand down. The demonstrations started in February not just against Bouteflika but the whole ruling elite. Police in anti-riot gear fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of several hundred youths in the city center, witnesses said, after an otherwise largely peaceful march joined by families throughout the day. Police arrested 180 people after clashes with "infiltrators" among the demonstrators who injured 83 policemen, a police statement said. "No to Bensalah," the protesters chanted on Friday. Reuters correspondents at the scene estimated the crowd size at hundreds of thousands of people as on previous Fridays, although there was no official count. "We want the prosecution of all corrupt people" and "no to the gang", said banners held up by the protesters. Many waved Algeria's white, green and red crescent moon flag. "We came out today to say that Bensalah's position is unconstitutional," one of the protesters, who gave his name as Nawal, told Reuters. "We do not deserve military rule. We deserve a democratic and free Algeria," he added. Ali Badji, a 52-year-old grocer holding his son on his shoulders, said: "We are still sticking to our demands. We want a radical change." State television said similar protests took places in most cities. Police in a statement said they had arrested members of an unspecified "terrorist group" and also some foreigners who had planned to incite protesters to violence. The statement gave no details. — Reuters
