Thousands protest in Algeria capital, break police cordon

Algerian demonstrators carry a banner featuring the portrait of interim president Abdelkader Bensalah, whose mandate is in theory due to expire next week. [AFP]

Thousands of people protested for a twentieth consecutive week in Algeria's capital on Friday, defying a major police presence and after the interim president renewed a plea for dialogue.

"Go, liberate Algeria!", protesters chanted, waving the national flag, as they kept up pressure for regime insiders to step aside, more than three months after forcing longtime ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika into resigning.