민중시위와 시민사회의 성장

Protest and Growth of Civil Society: Focusing on the case of Algerian Hirak

Hirak (the People s Resistance Movement), a massive anti-government demonstration in Algeria, has been going on for more than two year since it started in February 2019. Hirak developed on a larger scale by utilizing peaceful means and embracing participants from various backgrounds, thereby allowing Algerian civil society to have legitimacy, representation, and capacity. In the end, Hirak succeeded in getting President Bouteflika out of office, who planned for his fifth term, and further matured the civil society of Algeria. The government, which had suppressed protesters, is trying to rationalize the suppression in the wake of the COVID-19 that began in late 2019. But Algeria s civil society has not yielded to this and has decided to voluntarily suspend demonstrations internally to protect their health, and is sustaining the momentum of protests by bringing them online. It is also gaining greater support, adding strength to what is beyond the government s capabilities. Algeria s mature civil society is expected to play an important role in reforming the political system as well as democratizing Algeria in the future.