Man tries to set himself on fire at Algeria protest
Date 2011/2/7 10:29:00 | Topic: Algeria
| 20110206
reuters
ALGIERS (Reuters) - An Algerian man doused himself with fuel and tried to set himself on fire on Sunday during a small protest outside a government ministry in the capital to demand more jobs.
Algerian opposition groups, inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, say they will force the government to quit, but analysts say a revolt is unlikely because officials can use revenue from energy exports to soothe most grievances.
During the protest outside the employment ministry building involving about 30 people, a man arrived, poured fuel over himself from a jerry can and then tried to ignite it with a cigarette lighter.
A journalist standing nearby wrestled the man to the floor before he could set fire to himself, said a Reuters cameraman who was at the protest. The man was later escorted inside the ministry building by police.
A wave of protests in neighbouring Tunisia which forced out President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali last month was started by a young unemployed man setting himself on fire in an act of protest at his treatment by the authorities.
Since then, there has been a series of self-immolations around the Arab world, including several in Algeria.
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