Description
Throughout 2019 and up until Covid-19 confinement, led predominantly by young people, Algerians peacefully mobilised on an unprecedented scale for democracy. Known as the Hirak, massive weekly marches of millions led to President Bouteflika standing down, politicians and businessmen being tried for corruption. Largely ignored in the West, this phenomenal mobilisation led to an unthinkable challenge to the hegemony of the regime and to a condemnation of structural inequalities facing Algerian youth. To understand these transformative protests, the paper first explores the key political developments and demands of the movement, followed secondly, by the contentious politics and repertoires of action that emerged, drawing on Asef Bayat’s concept of non-movements. What inspired these actions; how similar are they to other movements in the region; and have they inspired beyond their borders? Lastly, drawing on postcolonial writers as Edouard Glissant, what lessons are there for EU and Mediterranean states and societies in respect to the policies that frame the region? How can the mobilisations of 2019 contribute to the striving for a common political space in the Mediterranean, based on respect, exchange and solidarity?
