Medical students in Algeria did not delay in responding to accusations from the Algerian regime, which accused them of betrayal and collaboration, as well as claiming that Morocco was behind the protests.
After the Algerian regime launched a “propaganda campaign of betrayal and collaboration with Morocco” through its media arms, exploiting ordinary audio recordings of a conversation between a Moroccan student and her colleague in Algeria, the response came from the Algerian students who quickly recognized the attempt to demonize their movement.
The medical students in Algeria responded by chanting strong slogans in various medical faculties, such as “We are free students, O shameful media outlets,” directly responding to the accusations against them, and reaffirming that their demands come from the student body, as reflected in their statements.
Their response did not stop there. They also sang the Algerian national anthem in the faculties to express their Algerian identity and affiliation, contrary to the narrative pushed by Algeria’s official and unofficial media.
This student response came after weeks of protests in the medical faculties, where students had been demanding improvements in the quality of education, increased financial support for practical internships, as well as more job opportunities for general practitioners and solutions to overcrowding in hospitals. Instead of engaging in dialogue to solve the crisis, the Algerian regime accused the students of betrayal.
