From our headquarters in Doha, we keep you updated with reports from our staff across the country and further afield. 

Live Blog: Feb 12

Eye on Algeria - Photo Timeline - AJE Live Stream 

(All times are local in Algeria, GMT+1 )

9:50pm An Al Jazeera report, giving context for today's protest, with an understanding that there may be more to come.

7:27pm Reuters reports that things seem to be quieting down in Algiers:

After about three hours, hundreds of people left the square quietly, with police opening up gaps in their cordon to let them through. Some 200 young men from a poor neighbourhood nearby stayed on the square. Some threw objects at police.

5:55pm Said Sadi, head of the opposition group Rally for Culture and Democracy tells AFP that that human rights activist Ali Yahia Abdelnour, 90, was "manhandled by the police". Sadi said that the protest was not orchestrated.

It wasn't even an organised demonstration. It was spontaneous. It was an explosion of joy.

4:38pm The AP reports that according to the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights, 400 people have been arrested in today's protests.

Ali Yahia Abdelnour, who heads the group, says that 28,000 security forces have been deployed in Algiers.

2:40pm Twitter is buzzing with reports of the role of women in today's protests in Algiers, with some saying that police are tageting and arresting women. There are several photos of female protesters being hauled off by police on the wires.

14:10pm  Retuers news agency reports that Algerian police have blocked the centre of the capital city of Algiers, preventing anti-government protesters from joining the small groups of protesters in May 1 Square for a planned march through the city. Those already in the square have been "hemmed in".  We've had other reports, though, of protesters breaking police lines and entering the square.

Arrests have been made, though the numbers have not yet been confirmed - one spokeman for the RCD opposition party says 1,000 demonstrators have been arrested while a spokesman for the interior ministry says 14 people were "detained and immediately released".

13:35pm Several  pro-democracy demonstrators, inspired by the Egyptian revolution, ignore official ban and march in the capital Algiers. More details here.  

13:33pm AliBekki posted this video on YouTube on February 11th,  allegedly showing the police beating a protester. We can not verify the authentiy of the video.

13:13PM  About 50 people shouted anti-government slogans in a square in Algeria's capital on Saturday.


[Reuters]