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Protesters chanted "No fifth term" at Friday's protests
Thousands of people rallied Friday across Algeria to protest President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's plan to run for a fifth term.
Security forces in riot gear fired tear gas to block a march to the presidential palace in Algiers, the capital. But the demonstrations in the rest of the country went on peacefully.
The Algerian prime minister has been in office since 1999, but has rarely been seen in public since a stroke in 2013.
Authorities announced Thursday that the president, who will turn 82 next week, will travel to Switzerland on Sunday for medical exams.
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Security forces cordoned off May Day in Algiers during the protest, local media said.
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Abdelaziz Bouteflika came to power in 1999 despite allegations of electoral fraud
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The octogenarian Bouteflika is expected to win new elections in April, despite concerns for his health.
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Algerian protesters waved signs representing the symbol of a wheelchair user (representing President Bouteflika, who uses a wheelchair).
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Demonstrations took place in several other cities, including Oran, Tizi Ouzou, Bejaia, Annaba and Setif, according to the TSA news website.
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