Algeria democracy rally broken up

At least 19 people have been injured after Algerian police broke up a banned pro-democracy demonstration in Algiers aimed at pressing the government to overturn a law banning public gatherings, government officials said. Hundreds of Algerians defied the ban in an attempt to hold the demonstration on Saturday but were confronted by dozens of police armed with batons, tear gas and plexiglas shields. Said Sadi, the head of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), said at least 40 people were injured and dozens more were arrested in the demonstration. Among those arrested was the head of the party's parliamentary group, Othmane Amazouz, Sadi said. Sadi said his party's headquarters in the Algerian capital's main avenue had been put under siege by police, describing himself as "a prisoner". "We cannot wage a peaceful campaign when we are under siege," he said, using a megaphone to address the crowd from a first-floor window. Ait Hamouda Nordine, an RCD member of parliament, told Al Jazeera: "[Algeria] is a violent regime, it's an anti-democratic regime and it is time for Algeria to attain credible and democratic systems and parties."