Algerians are watching to see whether a global epidemic will do what the ruling authorities they describe as le pouvoir – the powers that be – have failed to achieve, and quell a year of mass protests. The street demonstrations in Algiers and other cities take place on Fridays and Tuesdays, and protesters contacted by Reuters were divided over whether to march this week. On Thursday, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered schools and universities to close after health authorities said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases had risen to 26 with two people dead. The government has already decreed measures to stop the disease spreading, including a ban on spectators at sports events, and on political, social and cultural gatherings. However, the authorities have not said whether this includes the mass protests that have taken place in Algiers and other cities since early 2019, forcing out veteran […]