Algiers Slum Residents Protest Neglect by Authorities

Residents of a poor neighbourhood in the Algerian capital, Algiers, went on a violent protest claiming that neglect by city authorities had rendered their living conditions squalid.

Several security officers were injured in a fracas that ensued as protesters from Diar Echams neighbourhood threw stones and fire bombs at them.

The clashes were first witnessed on Monday, when residents demanded to be re-housed by the city authorities.

One man claimed that up to 14 people were living in one small home, forcing some of them to spend sleepless nights in the cold and indulge in drug abuse.

Social unrest has been rising in Algiers due to high unemployment rates and poverty, but heavy security presence has always contained it. [ES]