Violence in Algeria ethnic protest

Tensions rise as the women march on city hall

Anti-government unrest reached yet another boiling point in Algeria on Thursday, when 10,000 women took to the streets to denounce a crackdown against ethnic Berbers.

Clashes erupted between young protesters and police at the end of the march in the Berber capital of Tizi Ouzou, 90km (60 miles) east of the capital, Algiers.

The violence was initially confined to the city centre near the police headquarters, but quickly spread to the outskirts of Tizi Ouzou.

Protestors hold pictures of the dead from riots in April

Authorities called in reinforcements, and many businesses closed for the day.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests.

The march - like numerous others in recent weeks - was called to honour dozens of people who were killed in April riots that swept through the mountainous Berber region of Kabyle.

The women held up pictures of Algerians killed by government forces and carried long black cloths to symbolise mourning as they marched to city hall.

On Thursday there were also reports of sporadic rioting in Bejaia, the second largest city in the Kabyle region.

President Bouteflika ordered "free and open" investigations into the riots

On Wednesday, clashes erupted between youths and police in numerous small towns around the tense Berber region, and several dozen demonstrators were injured.

Also on Wednesday 50 journalists marched through Tizi Ouzou to protest against a tough new press law.

That march came two days after a massive protest in Tizi Ouzou that organisers said drew 500,000 people and swamped the city's 110,000 inhabitants.

April riots

Authorities say 42 people were killed in the April riots that erupted after a high school student died while in police custody. The Algerian press put the death toll at 60 to 80.

Civilians hurry to take cover in a street in Tizi Ouzou

The Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been criticised for not acting quickly, has ordered a "free and open" investigation into the riots.

After a short lull, protests and clashes began anew on Tuesday, mainly in the Bejaia region to the east, and continued on Wednesday.

Recognition

On both days youths barricaded roads with tree trunks and set tyres alight, according to accounts from local inhabitants.

Algiers has long had a tense relationship with the Berber region, where inhabitants demand official recognition of their culture, thought by many to be the oldest in North Africa.

However, the April riots are also seen as a symptom of the massive unemployment and general discontent confronting Algeria, where an Islamic insurgency has been in progress since 1992.

At least 100,000 people have been killed in the violence.