Algeria shuts down internet and Facebook

**Kway** · 02-13-2011, 01:15 PM

DUN-DUN-DUN!

Originally Posted by THE TELEGRAPH

Internet providers were shut down and Facebook accounts deleted across Algeria on Saturday as thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators were arrested in violent street demonstrations.

Read: Algeria shuts down internet and Facebook as protest mounts - Telegraph

**Judge_with_logic** · 02-13-2011, 01:35 PM

"The government doesn't want us forming crowds through the internet," said Rachid Salem, of Co-ordination for Democratic Change in Algeria.

As if that's impossible without Facebook.

**Xeno** · 02-13-2011, 01:37 PM

The facebook accounts can't be deleted unless their either had facebook do it for them, or hacked them.

Thing is Judge, facebook is used massively to organise the protests.
It was used in the Egypt one, and probably the Tunisia one too.
The Algerian government doesn't want to end up the same as Egypt's. Egypt acted too late to stop the forming of large protests since everyone knew about it by time they had shut down the net.

These actions by the Algerian gov is just going to make their situation worse... When they're protesting for democracy, coming down on them with an authoritarian fist, arresting people who do protests, and removing the internet for the country. Well. It'll do nothing to help...

This was also the same action taken by Egypt... It feels as though they've accidentally sealed their fate. By replicating the actions of a recent event, where the outcome was mostly positive for the protesters will just fuel them on.

**Kway** · 02-13-2011, 01:57 PM

Also, a lot of the people that would otherwise be sitting inside on the internet, will now probably be outside protesting

**Judge_with_logic** · 02-13-2011, 02:11 PM

I do hope so Kway & Xeno.

Also they will continue to create their demonstration plans trough regular email.
Maybe less effective then FB, but as Bart on here says it : 'whatever works use it'
To hell with the oppressors.

I think all those dictators should just be put on another planet and oppress and torture the living daylight out of each other. I bet they will have lots of fun.

**Judge_with_logic** · 02-13-2011, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by Xeno

The facebook accounts can't be deleted unless their either had facebook do it for them, or hacked them.

Thing is Judge, facebook is used massively to organise the protests.
It was used in the Egypt one, and probably the Tunisia one too.
The Algerian government doesn't want to end up the same as Egypt's.
.

By the way, I was aware of this..lol

**julia52** · 02-13-2011, 02:47 PM

from a sociological point of view, this is a wonderful event

for too long have societies sat back and taken this bs-last nite when my daughter said that mubarek had actually stepped down(too many reports that he would not, even at the end), i was glad

the power of the masses, tho long stifled, rose once again

i know that there were many casualities; and there will be during this surge in algeria(of all places! now that is and has been one oppressed area for a long time). but yet, we are seeing this trend of people coming together for change, something i thought had been lost during the seventies and eighties, and this coming together is making a difference.

i will pray for all of those who fight for their freedom