The demonstrators who have gone to the street in Algeria in recent days calling for political reform constitute a small minority of the nation, Algeria's foreign minister said Monday. The National Coordination for Change and Democracy, which organized the demonstrations, does not represent majority sentiment in the country, Mourad Medelci was quoted as saying by Algerian radio. He added that all demonstrators who were detained during Sunday's protests have been released. He also reiterated that the country's state of emergency, in place since 1992, would be lifted in the coming days. Around 200 demonstrators gathered near May 1 Square in Algiers, and another 500 were barred from entering Martyrs' Square by police. Earlier this year, riots and demonstrations broke out across the country for five days, protesting skyrocketing food prices and unemployment. Similar demonstrations in Tunisia led to the ousting of former president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. BM
