Berbere TV is facing criticism in Kabylie after Tamurt reported that the channel muted political slogans during coverage of a June 25 commemoration for Matoub Lounes in Taourirt Moussa.
The gathering marked the 28th anniversary of the assassination of the Kabyle singer and Amazigh activist, whose memory continues to draw large crowds. According to Tamurt, thousands gathered near his grave, including during the moment when Malika Matoub placed a wreath in tribute to her brother.
The controversy centers on the sound carried by the broadcast. Tamurt reported that chants from the crowd, including slogans long associated with Kabyle protest movements, were replaced on air by songs by Matoub Lounes. Critics online accused the channel of turning a politically charged act of remembrance into a sanitized cultural sequence.
The dispute is especially sensitive because Matoub’s public image rests on his refusal to separate art from political speech. For many viewers, muting slogans at his memorial appeared to contradict the defiant role that made him an enduring figure in Kabylie and across Amazigh communities.
The episode has reopened debate about diaspora and Kabyle media, their editorial choices, and the pressures they face when covering Algeria-related political expression. It also shows that Matoub’s legacy remains a live arena of contestation, not simply a cultural memory.