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NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > IN THE MIDST OF PROTESTS ALGERIA SHUTS DOWN INTERNET ACCESS FOR ALL 14 USERS
IN THE MIDST OF PROTESTS ALGERIA SHUTS DOWN INTERNET ACCESS FOR ALL 14 USERS
February 13 2011
Algiers, Algeria – Throughout the history of the world it has long been an accepted standard that one of the first steps in conquering a people is removing or destroying the lines of communication. Communication has been proven to be one of, if not the 
most, important aspects of any type of movement by the people, whether it be in revolution or in defence of a nation. The cooperation of people has been, over and over again, the death of empires.
That strategy has been largely successful and, in circumstances where the lines of communication are not cut, we can clearly see why it is so important to the conquering power. From Paul Revere to the Twitter revolution in Egypt, the success of a people over a domineering power has always been rooted in their ability to communicate with one another. Information, even drips, can undo even the greatest power, much as it did the stalwart Hosni Mubarak, wresting control of his nation after thirty years of iron fisted rule. Much was made of Egypt’s efforts to stifle internet access amidst their revolution, and much made of the failure of those efforts, but that has not stopped attempts to do that same, specifically in Algeria 
where that country’s government cut off internet access to the dozen or so people who had it in an effort to quell the demonstrations in that country.
“The government doesn't want us forming crowds through the internet. Security forces are armed to the teeth out on the street, and they're also doing everything to crush our uprising on the internet, Rachid Salem, of Co-ordination for Democratic Change in Algeria told the Telegraph. “Journalists, and especially those with cameras, are being taken away by the police. Algerians want their voices to be heard too. They want democratic change.”
The organization of protests in Algeria have also been complicated by scheduling issues unlike the revolt in Egypt which went largely uninterrupted until the goals were achieved. Algerian protestors have been rebelling on weekends.
“There is little doubt that communication is the core of the successful conquering or 
rebelling of any nation. That is a scenario which has played out over and over again throughout human history and it is the same today as it was then, with one major exception. In today’s world communication is widespread, almost chaotically so, and harnessing that on either side is extremely difficult,” said Scrape TV International analyst Gustav Hander. “We saw in Egypt that even after all internet access was shut down people still managed to communicate, still managed to get the word out and to organize protests with little or no difficulty. Communication is so ubiquitous now that preventing or eliminating it is proving to be very difficult, if not impossible. Algeria will be a real test though with the limited access in that country. I f communication continues there it may prove once and for all that it can’t be totally shut down.”
Official numbers put internet connectivity in the country at five people, but unofficial estimates suggest upwards of three dozen on the high end.
“The revolt in Egypt has, if nothing else, proven the power of communication to unite and to break free from subjugation, it has proven the power of information in the age of information no matter the results in Algeria,” continued Hander. “If, and it’s a big if, the Algerian people are able to have the same kind of success that people have had in Tunisia and Egypt they may secure themselves a new future free of tyranny, and with increased access to Facebook and Twitter which are just so addictive.”
The next day of protest is tentatively scheduled for the 19th.
Emil Uliya, International Correspondent
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