BBC News Online: World: Middle East

Algerian Berbers stage peaceful march

Thousands of ethnic Berbers in the troubled Kabylie region of north-eastern Algeria have held a peaceful demonstration as part of their campaign for greater cultural and political freedoms.

Marchers carried banners and chanted their protests.

A general strike was widely observed.

The protests were called by the aarchs, the ancient Berber tribal and village councils, which have taken on a key role in the protest movement.

The current wave of dissent in Kabylie began in April when a Berber youth was killed in police custody.

Since then, dozens of Berbers have died in clashes with the authorities. Berber demands include official recognition of their Tamazight language, a better economy for Kabylie, and compensation for the victims of violence and their families.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service