Following a call from jail by detained Rif ‘Hirak’ activist, Nasser Zefzafi, the Rif and the Kabyle communities in Europe will join hands together in a mass rally in France capital, Paris, on Saturday, October 26th, to commemorate the death anniversary of Mouhcine Fikri, a fishmonger who was crushed to death in a garbage truck after trying to retrieve some fish that had been confiscated by local authorities.
His death sparked a mass protests across the neglected Rif region for several months, that became known as the Hirak movement. As a result, hundreds of activists, including their leader Nasser Zefzafi as well as online journalists, were arrested in connection with the “Hirak Rif” protests. Several were later sentenced to 20 years in prison for “plotting to undermine internal state security”.
Not far from Rif region, another wave of ‘Hirak’ protests are currently taking place every Friday across Algeria, since February 22, demanding the departure of Algeria’s ruling elite. As a result, Algeria’s authorities have jailed dozens of people for peaceful protests, including 41 activists for waving or simply having it in their possession Amazigh flags at demonstrations.
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