Algeria commemorates 64th anniversary of December 11th, 1960 Demonstrations

ALGIERS- Algeria celebrates on Wednesday the 64th anniversary of December 11th, 1960 Protests, during which the Algerian people went out on massive demonstrations in several cities of the country, to claim, loud and clear, Algeria’s independence and end the myth of “L’Algérie française.”

[ecr] The resounding cry of the Algerian people 64 years ago, whose echo still resonates today, hammered the final nail into the coffin of the French colonial project.

This project aimed to uproot the Algerian people, erase their history, and alter their social fabric. However, the wisdom of the Algerian Revolution and the people's unity around it exposed to the world the true face of French colonial oppression.

On December 11, 1960, Algerians took to the streets to assert their right to self-determination and independence, reaffirming their unwavering connection to the Liberation Revolution. The Revolution’s leaders had previously called for rejecting the new project proposed by French President Charles de Gaulle in late 1959 and early 1960, known as “Algerian Algeria.”

This project, succeeding the idea of “French Algeria,” was merely a ploy to mislead public opinion. Yet, vigilant Algerians stifled it at its inception.

Aware that he could not defeat the Revolution by force, De Gaulle introduced the “Algerian Algeria” project, which was no less dangerous than its predecessor. This plan aimed to dismantle authentic Algerian society and replace it with a hybrid society comprising settlers and Algerians, politically and economically dependent on Paris.

By rejecting every French initiative, regardless of its nature, Algerians raised the slogan “Independent and Muslim Algeria” during the December 11 protests. They defended the Revolution’s primary demand: full national independence, as outlined in the Declaration of November 1, 1954.

These protests marked a decisive turning point in the War of National Liberation. They contributed to the internationalization of the Algerian cause and bolstered the position of the Algerian delegation and its supporters at the United Nations General Assembly in 1960. On December 19 of the same year, a resolution was adopted, calling for the implementation of the principle of self-determination and recommending its application to colonized peoples to enable them to regain their sovereignty and freedom.

Despite the censorship imposed at the time, Algerian and international media played a crucial role in exposing the criminal practices of colonial France.

The first spark of these protests ignited in Aïn Témouchent on December 9, 1960, coinciding with De Gaulle’s visit to the region. Youth marches were organized to demand Algeria’s independence. The protests soon spread to other cities across the country on December 11, cementing their place in history. [/ecr]