Thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Algerian capital on Friday in defiance of a heavy security presence to demand the ouster of the country's army chief. Demonstrators gathered near the capital's main post office square - the epicentre of Algeria's protest movement that forced longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down in April - this time calling for the removal of General Ahmed Gaid Salah.

"The people want the fall of Gaid Salah," they chanted, referring to the de facto strongman in post-Bouteflika Algeria. "Take us all to prison, the people will not stop." Friday's demonstration marked Algeria's 31st consecutive week of rallies, but protesters faced a heavy deployment of security forces in the city centre and along its main avenues.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019