Travel Disruption Reported in Algeria Over Protest Against Bouteflika's 5th Term

CAIRO (Sputnik) - Algeria’s transport authority on Friday stopped metro, trams and buses in the capital Algiers and suburban commuter trains ahead of the planned protests, local media said.

Algerians have taken to the streets for the third week on Friday to protest ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term, El Khabar newspaper said.

Tens of thousands of Algerians demonstrators in #Algiers #Algeria against Abdelaziz Bouteflika's 5th term pic.twitter.com/EKzZ95m54l

— Khaled Drareni (@khaleddrareni) March 8, 2019

Friday protests for the third successive week nationwide in #Algeria 🇩🇿

and this time they appear to be bigger than ever #Algiers pic.twitter.com/PiA5yVRhZO

— SaadAbedine (@SaadAbedine) March 8, 2019

Hundreds of thousands of people in the streets of #Algiers against the fifth term of Abdelaziz Bouteflika incredible national mobilization pic.twitter.com/D5Nxu95sta

— Khaled Drareni (@khaleddrareni) March 8, 2019

The 82-year-old announced last February he would run in the April 18 election. Last Sunday, he assured Algerians he would call snap presidential polls and hand over the reins to his successor if he is re-elected.

READ MORE: Algeria's Bouteflika Warns of 'Chaos' as Protests Challenge His Re-Election Bid

Thousands of Algerian youths, including students, have been angered by the president’s decision. Bouteflika has ruled the North African country for two decades. He has been rarely seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013.