1988 — Algeria's October Riots

On October 5, 1988, thousands of young Algerians rose up in anger in the streets of Algiers. Tired of high prices, joblessness, and a government that would not listen, they took control of the streets for five days, smashing symbols of the one-party state that had ruled since independence. The army answered with live bullets, and hundreds lost their lives.

The uprising shook Algeria to its core. Within months, the president ended the single-party monopoly and opened the way to multiparty rule. Born from the frustration of a generation that felt unheard, the October riots changed the course of a nation, proving that even a state ruled by one party since independence could be forced to change.