The Black Spring (Kabyle: Tafsut Taberkant) was a series of protests and political demonstrations by Kabyle activists in the Kabylie region of Algeria in 2001, which were met by repressive and violent police measures and became a potent symbol of Kabyle discontent with the national government. The protests took place against a backdrop of long-standing cultural marginalization of the Highlander Kabyle, a homogeneous Berber linguistic group in Algeria (Berber speakers form some 25%–35% of the total population, although exact numbers are disputed) despite the most rigid government-sponsored Arabization measures of the 1960s through the 1980s having been lifted. The name "Black Spring" alludes to the events known as the Berber Spring of the 1980s, in which mainly Kabyle civil society activists challenged the ban on Berber culture then in place, demanding cultural rights and democracy.
PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika's government claimed that the real name of Massinissa was in fact Karim and that he was a jobless criminal aged 26. Several months after these statements, the government admitted that his real name was in fact Massinissa (named after the historical Berber king of ancient Algeria), and that he was an innocent high school student. The Minister of the Interior Yazid Zerhouni said that he "was badly informed". No apologies were given to the victim's family, however, and the riots did not stop. Bouteflika's government maintained that the Kabyles were being "manipulated by a foreign hand".
A march that brought many tens of thousands of Kabyles into the capital, Algiers, was organized by the Arouch movement, which along with the autonomist Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie sprang from the civil activism surrounding the disturbances. The demonstration was followed by confrontations between the local population of Algiers and the demonstrating Kabyles. The police sided with the "Algérois" and state television thanked "les Algérois for having defended their town from the invaders"[citation needed]. Since then, public marches in Algiers are prohibited.
Victims
As of April 2001 (few days after the beginning of the black spring) there were 43 young Kabyles killed. As of July 2001, there were 267 young people shot by bullets, of which 50 died (18,7%). The Issad commission notes that "It is only comparable to military losses in very tough battles during war time, The security forces, at the same time and at the same place do not present any wounded man by bullets, nor anyone killed by bullets."
As of April 2002, the Algerian Human Rights League reports 126 Kabyles killed, 5000 wounded of which 200 have become permanently disabled, and thousands of arrests, bad treatment, torture and arbitrary detentions.
At the end of the Black Spring events, the Algerian press reported 126 Kabyles were killed,[1] and thousands were severely injured in the riots, or tortured by the Gendarmerie paramilitaries.
Results
In the end, Bouteflika agreed to some of the Kabyle demands. Gendarmes were withdrawn from Kabylie, and the Berber language (Tamazight) was made a "national language" in the 2002 Algerian Constitution (but not an "official" language, on par with Arabic, until 2016[2]).
^ ab"Printemps berbère 1980 : un acte manqué ?". Le Matin d'Algérie. 2010-04-17. from the original on 2019-11-02. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
^"Algeria reinstates term limit and recognises Berber language". BBC News. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
^Collective, CrimethInc. Ex-Workers. "Other Rojavas: Echoes of the Free Commune of Barbacha". CrimethInc. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
External links
Algerian Human Rights League report
The report of Issad's Commission Report, established by The president Bouteflika
April 02, 2023
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The Black Spring Kabyle Tafsut Taberkant was a series of protests and political demonstrations by Kabyle activists in the Kabylie region of Algeria in 2001 which were met by repressive and violent police measures and became a potent symbol of Kabyle discontent with the national government The protests took place against a backdrop of long standing cultural marginalization of the Highlander Kabyle a homogeneous Berber linguistic group in Algeria Berber speakers form some 25 35 of the total population although exact numbers are disputed despite the most rigid government sponsored Arabization measures of the 1960s through the 1980s having been lifted The name Black Spring alludes to the events known as the Berber Spring of the 1980s in which mainly Kabyle civil society activists challenged the ban on Berber culture then in place demanding cultural rights and democracy Black SpringPart of the Algerian Civil WarDate20 April 2001 April 2002LocationKabylie AlgeriaCaused byMarginalization of Kabyles Murder of Massinissa GuermahMethodsDemonstrationsResulted inGovernment concedes to Kabyle demands Constitution amended Gendarmerie Nationale withdrawn from Kabylie Berber languages recognized as a national language Barbacha gains de facto autonomy from the Algerian stateParties to the civil conflictKabyles Berber Arouch Citizens Movement Rally for Culture and Democracy Socialist Forces Front Algeria Democratic National Rally Movement of Society for Peace National Liberation Front Armed ForcesLead figuresBelaid Abrika Ferhat Mehenni Said Sadi Hocine Ait Ahmed Abdelaziz Bouteflika Ali Benflis Mohamed LamariCasualtiesDeath s 126 killed 1 InjuriesThousandsArrestedThousands Contents 1 Events 2 Victims 3 Results 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksEvents EditIn 2001 a young Kabyle student Massinissa Guermah was arrested by Algerian gendarmes and later died inside the gendarmerie This provoked large scale riots in the Kabyle region that lasted for months President Abdelaziz Bouteflika s government claimed that the real name of Massinissa was in fact Karim and that he was a jobless criminal aged 26 Several months after these statements the government admitted that his real name was in fact Massinissa named after the historical Berber king of ancient Algeria and that he was an innocent high school student The Minister of the Interior Yazid Zerhouni said that he was badly informed No apologies were given to the victim s family however and the riots did not stop Bouteflika s government maintained that the Kabyles were being manipulated by a foreign hand A march that brought many tens of thousands of Kabyles into the capital Algiers was organized by the Arouch movement which along with the autonomist Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie sprang from the civil activism surrounding the disturbances The demonstration was followed by confrontations between the local population of Algiers and the demonstrating Kabyles The police sided with the Algerois and state television thanked les Algerois for having defended their town from the invaders citation needed Since then public marches in Algiers are prohibited Victims EditAs of April 2001 few days after the beginning of the black spring there were 43 young Kabyles killed As of July 2001 there were 267 young people shot by bullets of which 50 died 18 7 The Issad commission notes that It is only comparable to military losses in very tough battles during war time The security forces at the same time and at the same place do not present any wounded man by bullets nor anyone killed by bullets As of April 2002 the Algerian Human Rights League reports 126 Kabyles killed 5000 wounded of which 200 have become permanently disabled and thousands of arrests bad treatment torture and arbitrary detentions At the end of the Black Spring events the Algerian press reported 126 Kabyles were killed 1 and thousands were severely injured in the riots or tortured by the Gendarmerie paramilitaries Results EditIn the end Bouteflika agreed to some of the Kabyle demands Gendarmes were withdrawn from Kabylie and the Berber language Tamazight was made a national language in the 2002 Algerian Constitution but not an official language on par with Arabic until 2016 2 The traditional Berber political parties Said Sadi s liberal Rally for Culture and Democracy RCD and Hocine Ait Ahmed s socialist Front of Socialist Forces FFS were partly marginalized by the radical grass roots activism and violent forms of protest Instead new movements rose to the fore in Kabyle politics the Arush Arouch movement and the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie MAK whose regionalist ambitions for autonomy marked a new evolution in Kabyle politics The region of Barbacha has managed to gain a significant degree of autonomy giving hope to many Kabylie activists 3 See also EditList of modern conflicts in North AfricaReferences Edit a b Printemps berbere 1980 un acte manque Le Matin d Algerie 2010 04 17 Archived from the original on 2019 11 02 Retrieved 2019 11 02 Algeria reinstates term limit and recognises Berber language BBC News 7 February 2016 Retrieved 11 December 2017 Collective CrimethInc Ex Workers Other Rojavas Echoes of the Free Commune of Barbacha CrimethInc Retrieved 2018 05 16 External links EditAlgerian Human Rights League report The report of Issad s Commission Report established by The president Bouteflika Black Spring s Martyrs list Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Black Spring Algeria amp oldid 1123196290, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
