Algeria marks 70th anniversary of start of revolt against French rule

A military parade was held in Algiers on Friday to mark 70 years since the start of the Algerian revolution.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune took part in the parade, saluting to cheering crowds from a tank before presiding over the ceremony.

On November 1, 1954, Algeria’s National Liberation Front attacked French targets in Algeria, setting off the Algerian War which led to the country’s independence from France.

The country officially declared independence on July 5, 1962, after a brutal seven-year war that ended 132 years of colonial rule.

The war, which Algerian officials say killed around 1.5 million people, remains a point of tension in relations between Algeria and France.

The anniversary of the revolution is often used as an occasion to offer pardons.

Algerian journalist Ihsane El Kadi, a journalist who was a key voice during the country’s 2019 pro-democracy protests, was released from prison on Thursday evening along with eight others who were imprisoned after criticizing the state.