Algeria cancels summer art festivals in solidarity with Palestine amid Gaza war

Algeria has decided to cancel all major art festivals this summer, in another show of solidarity with Palestine amid the Gaza war.

"This decision stems from Algeria's unwavering position of support for the Palestinian cause and its brave, legitimate struggle against Zionist brutality," said Soraya Mouloudji, the Minister of Culture, in a statement on 12 July.

Algeria hosts several major artistic festivals every summer, including the Timgad International Cultural Festival in Batna, eastern Algeria, and the Kazif International Music Festival in Algiers.

Amid the war on Gaza, Algiers has taken a leading role in advocating for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a permanent membership for Palestine at the UN.

Israel, defying a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, has faced international condemnation for its genocidal actions in the Gaza Strip following a surprise attack led by the Palestinian group Hamas on 7 October.

Since then, Israel has killed more than 38,300 Palestinians, mainly women and children, and nearly 88,300 have been injured, according to local health authorities.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately stop its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians had sought refuge before the invasion on 6 May.

Since gaining independence, Algeria has consistently upheld strong connections with Palestine, pledging allegiance to the Palestinian cause — a commitment grounded in the shared long and bloody struggles of both nations under occupation.

In 2022, Algiers hosted mediation talks between rival Palestinian groups, leading to a reconciliation agreement that ended 15 years of discord between the factions.

However, the Algerian people remain unable to protest for Palestine amid an ongoing ban on all protests and demonstrations in the North African country.

Today, Algerian opposition is demanding the state lift the ban on protests. President Tebboune's opponents argue the government's contradictory stance on freedom, pointing out the disparity between its vocal support for Palestinian resistance and its repression of peaceful protests at home.

"It's incomprehensible for the authorities to continue to ban marches and demonstrations in the streets in support of the Palestinian cause as our central issue," said Louisa Hanoune, an opposition figure who left the Presidential race this week over "unjust and non-democratic conditions."

Algeria is set to hold an early presidential election on 7 September.