Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Police used water cannon during the protest in Algiers

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Algeria to demand the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Estimates say crowds in the capital, Algiers, reached a million. It is the sixth successive Friday of mass anti-government protests in the country.

Earlier this week an army general, Lt Gen Ahmed Gaed Salah, called for the position of president to made vacant.

But opposition parties in Algeria said it would not guarantee free elections.

Algerian police fired tear gas at crowds as they attempted to reach the presidency, the BBC's Mohamed Arezki Himeur, in Algiers, said.

The renewed calls for regime change come just days after Lt Gen Gaed Salah demanded that Mr Bouteflika be declared unfit to rule.

What do the protesters want?

Demonstrations against Mr Bouteflika began last month after the president, who has seldom been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013, announced that he would stand for another term.

In response, the president agreed to not stand for a fifth term in upcoming elections, which have been delayed.

However the move did not go down well with protesters, who said his decision not to run was a cynical move to prolong his 20-year rule.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Some estimates say as many as a million people marched in the capital, Algiers

They are now calling for the departure of the president and also an entire generation of Algerian political leaders, including those who would be in line to succeed him.

At the protest in Algiers, one member of the crowd, named as Ali, told Reuters news agency: "We only have one word to say today, all the gang must go immediately, game over."

What happens now?

Lt Gen Gaed Salah - who is also deputy defence minister and seen as loyal to Mr Bouteflika - this week called for the use of Article 102, which allows the Constitutional Council to declare the position of president vacant if the leader is unfit to rule.

The ruling party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), backed the general's call.

Under the constitution, the head of the Senate, Abdelkhader Bansallah, would become the acting head of state until an election could be held.

Despite the significant intervention, the call from the army chief of staff does not appear to be enough for protesters and opposition parties, who have continued to protest on the streets.

Opposition unimpressed

By Ahmed Rouaba, BBC Africa

Opposition parties and protesters in Algeria were not impressed by the suggestion of Lt Gen Gaid Salah to trigger Article 102 of the constitution.

The majority of protesters are youth who are not involved in party politics and who say they are not interested in the departure of Mr Bouteflika only to see the power transferred to his former allies - bringing to power different faces of the same regime.

It is difficult to predict what is going to happen because there is no indication that opposition parties hold any influence over the protesters, who do not have any leader or spokesperson who could hold talks with the authorities.

The army clearly wanted to see an end to the crisis when they abandoned Mr Bouteflika in an unexpected move. But they need to find an influential party to discuss the procedure with.

For the moment, the protesters' expectations are very high as they demand the departure of "everybody who has been associated with the regime", but they do not offer an alternative.

Lt Gen Gaid Salah had already dismissed the idea of "removing everybody" as expressed in the protests and on social media.

Who could succeed Algeria's president?

Said Bouteflika: Many in Algeria believe the president's younger brother is the de facto ruler of the country. He is described as being the president's gatekeeper, leading the presidential clan and protecting its interests from behind the scenes.

Lakhdar Brahimi: One of the country's most respected veteran diplomats, Mr Brahimi had a successful career at the highest level in the UN General Secretariat. When protests in Algeria first began, Mr Brahimi was chosen to head a transitional conference on the country's political future.

Ali Benflis: The founder of the state-run Algerian League for Human Rights was appointed minister for justice in 1988. He was named prime minister in 2000 but dismissed in 2003. He is considered a possible successor despite losing presidential bids in 2004 and 2014.

Ali Haddad: The former head of Algeria's Business Forum was identified by Algerian and French press as being one of the main financiers of Mr Bouteflika's 2014 re-election campaign.

Ahmed Gaid Salah: The army chief of staff has created controversy by commenting on public matters, leading many to believe that he has presidential ambitions. The Lt Gen has also frequently helped Mr Bouteflika undermine the position of other generals.</s>Hundreds of thousands of Algerians have marched through the streets of the capital and other major cities for a sixth straight Friday to demand the immediate departure of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the ruling elite.

The latest rallies came days after Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaid Salah, the powerful army chief, called for the application of a provision in the Algerian constitution that could remove the president on account of his failing health.

Under Article 102, the Constitutional Council could decide that a sitting head of state is no longer capable of fully exercising their functions and ask Parliament that they be declared unfit to rule.

But opposition figures and protesters rejected Salah's move, saying it came too late and describing it as another attempt by the ruling class to maintain the status quo.

"I march today against the enforcement of Article 102," Massinissa, a 36-year-old filmmaker protesting in Algiers on Friday, told Al Jazeera.

"Yes, I want to see Bouteflika out but I also want the old guard that has ruled Algeria since 1962 to leave," Massinissa added, referring to the year the North African country declared independence.

Aged 82, Bouteflika has made just a handful of public appearances since suffering a debilitating stroke in 2013, which has confined him to a wheelchair and damaged his ability to speak.

Despite his ailing health, Bouteflika continued enjoying the support of Algeria's powerbrokers, including the military, and went ahead to win presidential elections in 2014.

His supporters credit him for his role in Algeria's independence struggle against colonial France, as well as ending a destructive civil war that claimed the lives of an estimated 200,000 Algerians throughout the 1990s.

His critics, however, argue he has overstayed his welcome.

"We have been dealing with a presidential vacuum for nearly seven years," said Karim Mesbah, a 48-year-old shopkeeper. "It is too late to enforce Article 102 of the constitution."

Authorities have struggled to deal with the current wave of protests, the biggest in Algeria for decades.

Amid mounting public anger, Bouteflika first gave in to protesters' demands while in Switzerland on medical leave on March 2, saying he would step down within a year if reelected in the April polls.

His move, however, failed to appease demonstrators who continued taking to the streets.

On March 11, Bouteflika said he would not seek reelection but also cancelled the much-awaited polls, vowing to hand over power to a successor "chosen by the people" after a new constitution is approved and a national conference is held.

In response, opposition parties and protesters accused Bouteflika of attempting to illegally extend his fourth term in office, set to expire on April 28.

"A transition can take six months, a year or two. Regardless of how long it lasts, I will be here, in the streets, fighting for people's rights," Lynda, a retiree in Algiers said, adding that protesters would continue taking to the streets until "real change" took place.

"We want to put an end to this military regime and a civilian government that enshrines human rights in the constitution."

Djamila Ould Khettab contributed to this report from Algiers</s>PARIS — Tens of thousands of protesters in Algeria turned out Friday to demonstrate against the government’s latest attempt to pull the country out of its political impasse, clearly signaling popular rejection of a compromise offer by the Army this week.

The demonstration, the sixth in a row, appeared to reinforce the deadlock: protesters have dismissed the proposal from the country’s most powerful figure, Gen. Ahmed Gaïd Salah, the army chief of staff, to sideline the ailing president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, install as interim president the head of the Senate, and hold elections.

What happens next is unclear, but some opposition figures said it was now up to the government to make what one called a more serious offer. The crowds in the streets, increasingly pressing in their demands, want the wholesale removal of what they call “the System” — everyone associated with Mr. Bouteflika’s 20-year reign. So far the government has given no sign of conceding.

In proposing Mr. Bouteflika’s removal, General Gaïd Salah, who had been the president’s staunchest ally, went beyond what many had expected. But by invoking Article 102, of the Algerian constitution, a section that calls for the removal of the president if he is found unfit, the general left the rest of the ruling “System” in place — unacceptable in the eyes of many Algerians.</s>ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algerians took to the streets by the millions for the sixth straight Friday of nationwide protests, trying to push their ailing president from power and bring down an entire political system seen as corrupt and out of touch.

Security forces used a water cannon and lobbed tear gas against a crowd that broke through a blockaded street leading to the presidential palace — the only break in what have been massive but peaceful demonstrations.

For the first time, all three state TV channels showed the protests live — a stark difference since the mass marches started on Feb. 22 and news blackouts were ordered. It also reflected the changing balance of power within the ruling class as President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 82 and ailing after a 2013 stroke, loses key supporters.

Protesters marched in cities across the North African nation.

Tens of thousands massed in the boulevards of Algiers, dominated by young people and their families. Police helicopters circled overhead and riot police vans lined sensitive neighborhoods, but the mood was largely festive.

It's the first protest since the army chief called earlier this week for the constitutional process to declare Bouteflika unfit for office. Other politicians and parties backed the idea as a solution to the gas-rich country's political crisis.

The protests have turned the tables on the elite power structure, but it remained unclear what lies ahead.

A billboard above the Place Maurice Audin in Algiers read "Your excellency, The People," capturing the mood.

Protesters see the army chief's proposal as a way for the secretive political elite to keep their grip on power and name a hand-picked successor to Bouteflika, who has been largely out of the public eye since his stroke.

Anger at the constitutional process issue was central to Friday's protest. Many held signs calling for the departure of army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah, or referring to Article 102 of the constitution, which Salah proposed using to pave the way for Bouteflika's ouster.

One sign accused the political elite of being "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves." Another read "Not Moscow, Not Paris, Not Washington - The Choice should be Algerian," in reference to concerns of foreign interference in the crisis. A former French colony with close ties to France, Algeria was a powerful ally of Moscow in the Soviet era but in recent years has also become a key partner of the U.S. and Europe in fighting terrorism.

Frustration also targeted Bouteflika's brother, Said. A small group of protesters started shoving journalists from Ennahar Television, considered close to Said Bouteflika, shouting "Shame!," before other protesters separated them.

When the protests broke out last month, the demonstrators' anger was more focused on Bouteflika himself, and demands that he abandon his bid for a fifth term after 20 years in power.

Since then, Bouteflika has dropped his election bid, but also canceled the April 18 vote pending electoral reforms, raising fears he would cling to power indefinitely.

Bouteflika is credited with bringing peace to Algeria after the bloody civil war of the 1990s, but some of his most powerful supporters have turned against him this week.

The protesters are notably angry at corruption. An Algerian media executive who was detained Thursday and released hours later said he was arrested because he publicly denounced political corruption.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>ALGIERS (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Algiers on Friday to demand the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in the biggest demonstration since unrest erupted six weeks ago.

In at least one location, a Reuters correspondent saw police opening fire with tear gas and rubber bullets, and chasing and beating demonstrators, after youths hurled stones at them.

The turnout came days after the military called for the ageing leader’s removal to end a growing political crisis. State television showed protests in several other cities.

The protests have been largely peaceful but have put pressure on the army to act. Some witnesses estimated the number of people on the streets on Friday at around one million, but authorities said the number was lower.

While many people resent the power held by Bouteflika and his shrinking inner circle, they also reject the idea of army intervention in civilian political life.

“Street pressure will continue until the system goes,” said student Mohamed Djemai, 25, as hundreds of riot police kept an eye on the protests and helicopters flew overhead.

“We have only one word to say today: all the gang must go immediately, game over,” said Ali, a merchant, as other protesters shouted “The people want the fall of the regime!” - the rallying cry of the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011.

Families stood on balconies above the streets cheering the marchers, who ranged from journalists, doctors and teachers to homeless people.

The crowds shared out dates and water and bought ice cream from street vendors.

The army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah, on Tuesday asked the Constitutional Council to rule whether the ailing 82-year-old president was fit for office.

The move further isolated Bouteflika, who has failed to placate the protesters by reversing a decision to seek a fifth term.

Bouteflika established himself in the early 2000s by ending a civil war that had claimed 200,000 lives. But he has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013, and now faces the biggest crisis of his 20 years in power.

Algeria has long been dominated by veterans of the 1954-1962 independence war against France, but many now see these as too old and out of touch.

The protesters want to replace the establishment with a new generation capable of modernising the oil-dependent state and giving hope to a young population impatient for a better life.

“You are the Titanic. You will sink!” protesters shouted.

The military, for its part, has stayed in its barracks throughout the unrest.

“There is a risk in involving soldiers in the protests because the soldiers are young. They could end up not listening to orders to confront protesters,” said a former military intelligence officer.

But Salah’s call for Bouteflika to step down was a clear reminder to Algerians that the army intends to retain its vast influence in national affairs.

Saadia Belaid, a woman crying as she wore the flag of Algeria, said: “I’m crying because they kidnapped Algeria, and the army’s proposal is a real travesty.”

One banner read: “We want Salah to go.”

However, Salah’s call received backing from the ruling FLN party and the main trade union, signalling that Bouteflika’s time was all but up.

In the latest blow, one of Bouteflika’s few remaining influential supporters, leading businessman Ali Haddad, resigned as head of the influential FCE business forum, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

Haddad, who was awarded large public works projects by the government and has investments in the media, has helped to fund Bouteflika’s election campaigns over the years.

Under the constitution, the chairman of parliament’s upper house, Abdelkader Bensalah, would serve as caretaker president for at least 45 days if Bouteflika stepped down. There is, however, no obvious long-term successor.</s>Thousands of protesters gathered in central Algiers on Friday, piling pressure on President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika to resign days after the country's powerful military called for his removal.

The army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah, on Tuesday asked the constitutional council to rule whether the ailing 82-year-old president is fit for office.

Bouteflika, facing the biggest crisis of his 20-year-old rule, has failed to placate Algerians by reversing a decision to seek a fifth term.

"Streets pressure will continue until the system goes," said student Mohamed Djemai, 25.

Protesters, who have been staging demonstrations since February 22, say they want to overthrow an entire political system and replace it with a new generation of leaders capable of modernising the oil-dependent state and giving hope to a population impatient for a better life.

Under Article 102, the Constitutional Council could determine the president is too ill to fully exercise his functions, and ask the parliament to declare him unfit. Bouteflika has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013.

If a two-thirds majority of the parliament's lower and upper house ratify the council's decision, the chairman of the upper house, Abdelkader Bensalah, would serve as caretaker president for at least 45 days.

The army chief is among the top power brokers in Algeria and his announcement could pave the way for Bouteflika's removal.

The move came days after Hocine Khaldoun, spokesman for the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN), said he will ask the party to withdraw its support for Bouteflika's proposal to hold a national conference aimed at getting the country out of its current political deadlock.

On Tuesday, thousands of people returned to the streets of Algiers calling on Bouteflika to resign, keeping up popular pressure.

Following Salah's announcement, some demonstrators expressed scepticism about the army chief's plan.

Assyl Moulessehoul, a 24-year-old language student in Tlemcen, said on Tuesday it appeared to be a "soft military coup."

"The army should not interfere in politics and should stay away from the ongoing political crisis. What we want is the regime to move from a military to a civilian rule," he had told Al Jazeera.</s>Military veterans shout slogans during a protest to demand the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and changes to the political system, in Algiers, Algeria, on Thursday (Reuters photo)

ALGIERS — Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of central Algiers again on Thursday to demand the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and changes to the political system after the powerful army called for the veteran leader to be removed.

The army chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Gaed Salah, on Tuesday asked the constitutional council to rule whether the ailing 82-year-old president is fit for office.

State radio said on Thursday that the council has not yet held any meeting so far to decide on Bouteflika's fate.

Salah's call received backing from the ruling FLN Party and the main trade union, signalling that Bouteflika's time was all but up after 20 years in power.

But leaders of the protest movement that has staged five weeks of peaceful demonstrations reject the army's transition plan and demand the overthrow of the entire ruling elite.

Hundreds of Algerians rallied again on Thursday to criticise not just Bouteflika but also the political system, which for decades has been built around veterans of the 1954-1962 war of independence against France, military officers and business tycoons.

"Thieves, you have destroyed the country," they chanted.

"Our battle will continue until we get rid of the system," said architect Belaid Hakimi, 36,

The General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA), long a staunch supporter of the president, has also said it supported the army call for Bouteflika to step down.

In an unusual development suggesting further disarray in Bouteflika's inner circle, the owner of a TV station close to the government, Ali Fodil, was detained by the authorities for several hours on Thursday, his Echorouk TV channel reported.

He was later released on the order of the general prosecutor. Oficials had no immediate comment on the matter.

On Wednesday evening, Echorouk broadcast a programme critical of Bouteflika's influential younger brother Said. Another TV station, Ennahar, said Fodil had been detained by intelligence personnel.

Any ruling by the constitutional council on Bouteflika's future would have to be ratified by a two-thirds majority in the two houses of Parliament.

Under the constitution, the chairman of Parliament's upper house, Abdelkader Bensalah, would serve as caretaker president for at least 45 days after Bouteflika's departure.

But even if Bouteflika quits, there is no clear long-term successor.

And even if both sides dig in, no Algerian wants to risk returning to the dark days of the 1990s, when the army's cancellation of elections that Islamists were on the verge of winning triggered a civil war that killed 200,000 people.</s>ALGIERS (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of chanting, banner-waving protesters marched though Algiers for the sixth Friday in succession to demand the removal of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika days after the country’s powerful military called for him to step down.

Dancing, blowing horns and shouting freedom slogans, some demonstrators also called for the entire political elite to go, saying that while they were against Bouteflika they also rejected the army’s intervention in civilian political life.

“Streets pressure will continue until the system goes,” said student Mohamed Djemai, 25, as hundreds of riot police kept an eye on the protests and helicopters flew overhead.

“We have only one word to say today, all the gang must go immediately, game over”, said Ali a merchant, as other protesters shouted “the people want the fall of the regime”.

Amid a festival atmosphere, families standing on balconies above the streets cheered the marchers, who shared out dates and water and bought ice cream from street vendors.

The army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah, on Tuesday asked the constitutional council to rule whether the ailing 82-year-old president is fit for office.

The move piled pressure on Bouteflika, who has failed to placate Algerians by reversing a decision to seek a fifth term.

Key allies have deserted the head of state, who has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013 and now faces the biggest crisis of his 20-year-old rule.

Protesters have ambitious demands in a country long- dominated by veterans of the independence war against France who are seen by many Algerians as too old and out of touch.

They want to replace the establishment with a new generation of leaders capable of modernizing the oil-dependent state and giving hope to a population impatient for a better life.

The powerful military has stayed in the barracks. But Salah’s call for Bouteflika to go was a clear reminder to Algerians that the army intends to retain its vast influence in politics.

Saadia Belaid, a woman crying as she wore the flag of Algeria, said: “I cry because they kidnapped Algeria and the army’s proposal is a real travesty.”

“We want the departure of Salah,” read a banner.

Salah’s call, however, received backing from the ruling FLN party and the main trade union, signaling that Bouteflika’s time was all but up.

In the latest blow to Bouteflika, one of his few remaining influential supporters, leading businessman Ali Haddad, resigned as head of the influential FCE business forum, a resignation letter seen by Reuters showed.

Haddad, who was awarded large public works projects by the government and has investments in the media, has helped to fund Bouteflika’s election campaigns over the years.

Under the constitution, the chairman of parliament’s upper house, Abdelkader Bensalah, would serve as caretaker president for at least 45 days after Bouteflika’s departure. But even if Bouteflika quits, there is no clear long-term successor.</s>ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) - Algerians taking to the streets for their sixth straight Friday of protests aren't just angry at their ailing president - they want to bring down the entire political system.

Small crowds started filling the boulevards of Algiers on Friday morning, and their numbers are expected to swell after midday Muslim prayers.

The Algerian army chief called earlier this week for a constitutional process to declare President Abdelaziz Bouteflika unfit for office. Other politicians and parties backed the idea as a solution to the gas-rich country's political crisis.

But protesters see the proposal as a way for the secretive political elite to keep their grip on power and name a hand-picked successor to Bouteflika, who has been largely out of the public eye since a 2013 stroke.

Anger at the constitutional process issue is central to Friday's protest.

In this picture taken on June 27, 2012, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, left, and his Army chief of staff, Gen. Ahmed Gaid Salah, review an honor guard before attending a military parade, in Cherchell near Algiers, Algeria. Algeria's powerful army chief, Ahmed Gaid Salah, insisted Wednesday that the military won't get mixed up in politics, a day after he said a constitutional process should be set in motion to declare ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika unfit for office. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)

FILE - In this April 28, 2014 file photo, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika sits in a wheelchair after taking oath as President, in Algiers. Algeria's powerful army chief said Tuesday March 26, 2019 that he wants to trigger the constitutional process that would declare President Abdelaziz Bouteflika unfit for office, after more than a month of mass protests against the ailing leader's long rule. (AP Photo/Sidali Djarboub, File)

In this picture taken on June 27, 2012, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, left, and his Army chief of staff, Gen. Ahmed Gaid Salah, attend a military parade in Cherchell near Algiers, Algeria. Algeria's powerful army chief, Ahmed Gaid Salah, insisted Wednesday that the military won't get mixed up in politics, a day after he said a constitutional process should be set in motion to declare ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika unfit for office. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)</s>ALGIERS (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of chanting, banner-waving protesters marched though Algiers for the sixth Friday in succession to demand the removal of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika days after the country’s powerful military called for him to step down.

Dancing, blowing horns and shouting freedom slogans, some demonstrators also called for the entire political elite to go, saying that while they were against Bouteflika they also rejected the army’s intervention in civilian political life.

“Streets pressure will continue until the system goes,” said student Mohamed Djemai, 25, as hundreds of riot police kept an eye on the protests and helicopters flew overhead.

“We have only one word to say today, all the gang must go immediately, game over”, said Ali a merchant, as other protesters shouted “the people want the fall of the regime”.

Amid a festival atmosphere, families standing on balconies above the streets cheered the marchers, who shared out dates and water and bought ice cream from street vendors.

The army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah, on Tuesday asked the constitutional council to rule whether the ailing 82-year-old president is fit for office.

The move piled pressure on Bouteflika, who has failed to placate Algerians by reversing a decision to seek a fifth term.

Key allies have deserted the head of state, who has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013 and now faces the biggest crisis of his 20-year-old rule.

Protesters have ambitious demands in a country long- dominated by veterans of the independence war against France who are seen by many Algerians as too old and out of touch.

They want to replace the establishment with a new generation of leaders capable of modernizing the oil-dependent state and giving hope to a population impatient for a better life.

The powerful military has stayed in the barracks. But Salah’s call for Bouteflika to go was a clear reminder to Algerians that the army intends to retain its vast influence in politics.

Saadia Belaid, a woman crying as she wore the flag of Algeria, said: “I cry because they kidnapped Algeria and the army’s proposal is a real travesty.”

“We want the departure of Salah,” read a banner.

Salah’s call, however, received backing from the ruling FLN party and the main trade union, signaling that Bouteflika’s time was all but up.

In the latest blow to Bouteflika, one of his few remaining influential supporters, leading businessman Ali Haddad, resigned as head of the influential FCE business forum, a resignation letter seen by Reuters showed.

Haddad, who was awarded large public works projects by the government and has investments in the media, has helped to fund Bouteflika’s election campaigns over the years.

Under the constitution, the chairman of parliament’s upper house, Abdelkader Bensalah, would serve as caretaker president for at least 45 days after Bouteflika’s departure. But even if Bouteflika quits, there is no clear long-term successor.
Algerians protest in the capital of Algiers against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in an effort to make him resign. It is estimated that tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands attended.