French President Emmanuel Macron on&nbsp;Saturday condemned as "inexcusable" a deadly crackdown by Paris police on a 1961 protest by Algerians whose scale was a taboo covered up for decades by French authorities.

Macron told relatives and activists on the 60th anniversary of the bloodshed that "crimes" were committed on the night of October 17, 1961 under the command of the notorious Paris police chief Maurice Papon.

He acknowledged that several dozen protesters had been killed, "their bodies thrown into the River Seine" and paid tribute to the memory of the victims.

The precise number of victims has never been made clear and some activists fear several hundred could have been killed.

Macron "recognised the facts: that the crimes committed that night under Maurice Papon are inexcusable for the Republic," the Elysee said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-military-refutes-russias-claims-over-naval-face-off-in-sea-of-japan-421230">Also read |&nbsp;US military refutes Russia's claims over naval face-off in Sea of Japan</a>

"This tragedy was long hushed-up, denied or concealed," it added.

Macron, the first French president to attend a memorial ceremony for those killed, observed a minute of silence in their memory at the Bezons bridge over the Seine on the &nbsp;outskirts of Paris where the protest started.

His comments that crimes were committed went further than predecessor Francois Hollande, who acknowledged in 2012 that the protesting Algerians had been "killed during a bloody repression".&nbsp;

However, as expected, he did not issue a formal apology. He also did not give a public speech, with the Elysee issuing only the written statement.

Papon was in the 1980s revealed to have been a collaborator with the occupying Nazis in World War II and complicit in the deportation of Jews. He was convicted of crimes against humanity but later released.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday condemned as "inexcusable" a deadly crackdown by Paris police on a 1961 protest by Algerians whose scale was a taboo covered up for decades by French authorities.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday condemned as "inexcusable" a deadly crackdown by Paris police on a 1961 protest by Algerians whose scale was a taboo covered up for decades by French authorities. Macron told relatives and activists on the 60th anniversary of the bloodshed that "crimes" were committed on the night of October 17, 1961 under the command of the notorious Paris police chief Maurice Papon. He acknowledged that several dozen protesters had been killed, "their bodies thrown into the River Seine" and paid tribute to the memory of the victims. The precise number of victims has never been made clear and some activists fear several hundred could have been killed. Macron "recognised the facts: that the crimes committed that night under Maurice Papon are inexcusable for the Republic," the Elysee said. Also read | US military refutes Russia's claims over naval face-off in Sea of Japan "This tragedy was long hushed-up, denied or concealed," it added. Macron, the first French president to attend a memorial ceremony for those killed, observed a minute of silence in their memory at the Bezons bridge over the Seine on the outskirts of Paris where the protest started. His comments that crimes were committed went further than predecessor Francois Hollande, who acknowledged in 2012 that the protesting Algerians had been "killed during a bloody repression". However, as expected, he did not issue a formal apology. He also did not give a public speech, with the Elysee issuing only the written statement. Papon was in the 1980s revealed to have been a collaborator with the occupying Nazis in World War II and complicit in the deportation of Jews. He was convicted of crimes against humanity but later released.

Macron condemns 'inexcusable' crackdown on 1961 Paris protest of Algerians

Algeria voted Saturday in a parliamentary election boycotted by the long-running Hirak protest movement and marked by a high abstention rate. Pro-government parties had urged a big turnout for the "crucial vote" hoping to restore stability after two years of turmoil since the ouster of veteran President Abdelaziz Bouteflika under pressure from the protests.

Algeria voted Saturday in a parliamentary election boycotted by the long-running Hirak protest movement and marked by a high abstention rate. Pro-government parties had urged a big turnout for the "crucial vote" hoping to restore stability after two years of turmoil since the ouster of veteran President Abdelaziz Bouteflika under pressure from the protests. The Hirak movement, which had held weekly demonstrations for reform until they were effectively banned last month, rejected the polls as a "sham". Seven leading protest movement figures were arrested ahead of polling day while police deployed heavily in the capital of Algiers to preempt any attempt to rally. Turnout was just 30.2 percent, the lowest in at least 20 years for legislative elections, electoral commission chief Mohamed Chorfi said after polls closed. By comparison, turnout was 35.7 percent for the last legislative vote in 2017. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who was elected on an official turnout of less than 40 percent in late 2019, put a brave face on the low turnout. "For me, it's not the turnout percentage that's important, it's whether the lawmakers that the people elect have sufficient legitimacy," he said after casting his vote in Algiers. The shape of the new assembly should emerge on Sunday but it will be 96 hours before official results are announced, Chorfi said. In Algiers, only a trickle of people was seen entering polling stations, AFP correspondents said. "I've never voted, and this time it's no different. I don't believe it would change anything," said Fatiha, a shopkeeper in her 50s. Hamid, a 60-year-old office manager, said he voted for the sake of "stability". In the opposition stronghold of Kabylie, a mainly Berber region east of Algiers, most polling stations in the main cities of Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou remained closed, the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LADDH) and the CNLD prisoners' right groups said. Scuffles broke out in Kabylie, where ballot boxes were ransacked, and security forces detained dozens of people, the two groups said, with the CNLD also reporting arrests in Algiers and the nearby city of Boumerdes. 'Repressive atmosphere' More than 13,000 candidates stood for the 407 seats in parliament, more than half listed as "independent". The protest movement has urged boycotts of all national polls since it mobilised hundreds of thousands of people in 2019 to force Bouteflika and his cronies from power, after the ailing president launched a bid for a fifth term. It returned to the streets in February after an almost-year-long break caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. But the government stepped up its crackdown last month, blocking protests and detaining hundreds of activists who have defied new restrictions on public gatherings. Leading opposition figure Karim Tabbou, independent journalist Khaled Drareni and the director of a pro-reform radio station, Ihsane El Kadi, were among seven people detained Thursday. The three were released on Friday night, a campaign group said. "These arrests mark a chilling escalation in the Algerian authorities' clampdown on the rights to freedom of expression and association," Amnesty International said, reporting more than 200 people were in detention in connection with the protest movement. Old guard and economic woes Tebboune claims to have responded to the protesters' main demands "in record time", and says those still protesting are "counter-revolutionaries" in the pay of "foreign parties". But the Hirak says Tebboune's past role as premier under Bouteflika confirms its narrative that the old guard, in power since Algeria's 1962 independence from France, retains an undiluted grip on power. Established parties linked to Bouteflika's rule -- the National Liberation Front (FLN) and the Democratic National Rally (RND) -- are seen as likely to lose seats. Islamist parties are hoping to take advantage -- but with their vote split between five rival factions, they may struggle to make real gains. Africa's fourth-largest economy is heavily dependent on oil revenues, which have slumped in the face of the global economic slowdown. Unemployment stands at more than 12 percent, according to World Bank figures. It has also been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 3,500 lives in the country, according to the health ministry.

Algerians shun parliamentary election under protest boycott

A man sought unsuccessfully to set himself on fire on Friday (July 12) as tens of thousands of Algerians rallied to push for reforms and the departure of the ruling elite.

Algerian protesters push for reforms, man tries to burn himself

Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Wednesday offered his "apologies" to the Algerian people in a letter published by state media, after he resigned as president in the face of huge protests.

"I leave the political stage without sadness or fear for the future of our country," Bouteflika said in the letter released by the APS news agency.

Algerians demand sweeping change as Bouteflika era ends

Flag-waving Algerians have celebrated the resignation of veteran president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, but vowed Wednesday to keep protesting to demand sweeping change to the country's political system.

The 82-year-old's departure, announced on state media late Tuesday, followed weeks of massive demonstrations that have shaken the North African nation.

Car horns sounded on the streets before jubilant crowds converged in the centre of the capital Algiers to cheer his departure.

Many Algerians have never known any president other than Bouteflika, who held power for two decades but was rarely seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013.

Protesters in Algiers welcomed his departure but said they were determined to continue demonstrating, rejecting any transition that leaves power in the hands of the "system".

"I want my daughter to remember this historic day. Bouteflika's gone, but it's far from over," said 35-year-old Amal, who wore a T-shirt with the slogan "I am against the system" and vowed to march again on Friday.

For 44-year-old engineer Hamid Boumaza, Bouteflika's resignation was "too little, too late".

"Bouteflika's departure is no longer enough. We want them all to go. We want full freedom and we will march for as long as necessary."&nbsp;

Others paid tribute to the leader, but regretted that he had clung to power for so long.

"Bouteflika worked. I voted for him at first, but he didn't know how to leave with his head held high," said Bilan Brahim, 40.

'Appeasement of hearts' 
Algeria's Constitutional Council said Wednesday it had accepted Bouteflika's resignation and informed parliament that his post was officially vacant.

But some 20 Algerian civil society groups said shortly afterwards they would refuse a transition of power that kept the same structure in place, calling for protests Friday for "democratic change".&nbsp;

"Bouteflika's resignation... is a first victory... but it is not enough," they said in a joint statement.

Algeria's constitution says that the speaker of the upper house of parliament, currently 77-year-old Abdelkader Bensalah, should now act as interim leader for up to 90 days during which a presidential election must be organised.

Algeria has largely avoided the turmoil unleashed by the Arab Spring uprisings that brought down rulers in neighbouring Tunisia and Libya.

But discontent, particularly among the young, turned to anger after Bouteflika announced in February that he would seek a fifth term in office in an election that had been scheduled for this month.

He dropped his bid in the face of the mass protests but also postponed the vote, angering Algerians who saw the move as a ploy to stay in power.

As pressure mounted, state television announced late Tuesday that Bouteflika had submitted his resignation to the Constitutional Council.

The decision aimed "to contribute to the appeasement of the hearts and minds of my compatriots, to allow them to take Algeria towards a better future to which they legitimately aspire," his resignation letter read.

Footage showed Bouteflika, dressed in a beige North African tunic and sitting in his wheelchair, handing the letter to the council's head, Tayeb Belaiz.

The resignation came shortly after the military demanded impeachment proceedings against Bouteflika.

Armed forces chief Ahmed Gaid Salah said the army's "sole ambition" was to "protect the people from a handful of (other) people who have unduly taken over the wealth of the Algerian people".

Although credited with helping foster peace after Algeria's decade-long civil war, Bouteflika has faced criticism for alleged authoritarianism.

Former prime minister-turned-rival Ali Benflis said his departure was the "woeful epilogue" to the past two decades and praised the protest movement as "a peaceful people's revolution".

Calls for 'democratic transition' 
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised "the mature and calm nature in which the Algerian people have been expressing their desire for change," said a UN statement.

"He looks forward to a peaceful and democratic transition process that reflects the wishes of the Algerian people," it added.

The United States said the future of the country "is for the Algerian people to decide".

Russia, a long-time ally of Algeria, called for a transition without foreign "interference".

The foreign minister of former colonial power France, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said he was confident Algeria's "democratic transition" could continue "in the same spirit of calm and responsibility" seen in recent weeks.

Algerian business tycoon and long-time Bouteflika backer Ali Haddad was placed in detention Wednesday days after he was arrested while trying to cross into Tunisia with undeclared currency and two passports.&nbsp;

Haddad, who Forbes magazine describes as one of the country's wealthiest entrepreneurs, was widely seen as a political tool for the ailing leader.&nbsp;

The judiciary has launched corruption investigations and, according to local media, banned a dozen prominent businessmen linked to Bouteflika from leaving the country.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Wednesday offered his "apologies" to the Algerian people in a letter published by state media, after he resigned as president in the face of huge protests.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Wednesday offered his "apologies" to the Algerian people in a letter published by state media, after he resigned as president in the face of huge protests. "I leave the political stage without sadness or fear for the future of our country," Bouteflika said in the letter released by the APS news agency. Algerians demand sweeping change as Bouteflika era ends Flag-waving Algerians have celebrated the resignation of veteran president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, but vowed Wednesday to keep protesting to demand sweeping change to the country's political system. The 82-year-old's departure, announced on state media late Tuesday, followed weeks of massive demonstrations that have shaken the North African nation. Car horns sounded on the streets before jubilant crowds converged in the centre of the capital Algiers to cheer his departure. Many Algerians have never known any president other than Bouteflika, who held power for two decades but was rarely seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013. Protesters in Algiers welcomed his departure but said they were determined to continue demonstrating, rejecting any transition that leaves power in the hands of the "system". "I want my daughter to remember this historic day. Bouteflika's gone, but it's far from over," said 35-year-old Amal, who wore a T-shirt with the slogan "I am against the system" and vowed to march again on Friday. For 44-year-old engineer Hamid Boumaza, Bouteflika's resignation was "too little, too late". "Bouteflika's departure is no longer enough. We want them all to go. We want full freedom and we will march for as long as necessary." Others paid tribute to the leader, but regretted that he had clung to power for so long. "Bouteflika worked. I voted for him at first, but he didn't know how to leave with his head held high," said Bilan Brahim, 40. 'Appeasement of hearts' Algeria's Constitutional Council said Wednesday it had accepted Bouteflika's resignation and informed parliament that his post was officially vacant. But some 20 Algerian civil society groups said shortly afterwards they would refuse a transition of power that kept the same structure in place, calling for protests Friday for "democratic change". "Bouteflika's resignation... is a first victory... but it is not enough," they said in a joint statement. Algeria's constitution says that the speaker of the upper house of parliament, currently 77-year-old Abdelkader Bensalah, should now act as interim leader for up to 90 days during which a presidential election must be organised. Algeria has largely avoided the turmoil unleashed by the Arab Spring uprisings that brought down rulers in neighbouring Tunisia and Libya. But discontent, particularly among the young, turned to anger after Bouteflika announced in February that he would seek a fifth term in office in an election that had been scheduled for this month. He dropped his bid in the face of the mass protests but also postponed the vote, angering Algerians who saw the move as a ploy to stay in power. As pressure mounted, state television announced late Tuesday that Bouteflika had submitted his resignation to the Constitutional Council. The decision aimed "to contribute to the appeasement of the hearts and minds of my compatriots, to allow them to take Algeria towards a better future to which they legitimately aspire," his resignation letter read. Footage showed Bouteflika, dressed in a beige North African tunic and sitting in his wheelchair, handing the letter to the council's head, Tayeb Belaiz. The resignation came shortly after the military demanded impeachment proceedings against Bouteflika. Armed forces chief Ahmed Gaid Salah said the army's "sole ambition" was to "protect the people from a handful of (other) people who have unduly taken over the wealth of the Algerian people". Although credited with helping foster peace after Algeria's decade-long civil war, Bouteflika has faced criticism for alleged authoritarianism. Former prime minister-turned-rival Ali Benflis said his departure was the "woeful epilogue" to the past two decades and praised the protest movement as "a peaceful people's revolution". Calls for 'democratic transition' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised "the mature and calm nature in which the Algerian people have been expressing their desire for change," said a UN statement. "He looks forward to a peaceful and democratic transition process that reflects the wishes of the Algerian people," it added. The United States said the future of the country "is for the Algerian people to decide". Russia, a long-time ally of Algeria, called for a transition without foreign "interference". The foreign minister of former colonial power France, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said he was confident Algeria's "democratic transition" could continue "in the same spirit of calm and responsibility" seen in recent weeks. Algerian business tycoon and long-time Bouteflika backer Ali Haddad was placed in detention Wednesday days after he was arrested while trying to cross into Tunisia with undeclared currency and two passports. Haddad, who Forbes magazine describes as one of the country's wealthiest entrepreneurs, was widely seen as a political tool for the ailing leader. The judiciary has launched corruption investigations and, according to local media, banned a dozen prominent businessmen linked to Bouteflika from leaving the country.

Bouteflika 'apologises' to Algerians in farewell letter: State media

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