Tunisia (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A March in Algeria?

1830 GMT: From Alec Ross of the US State Department: "Secretary Clinton spoke with Tunisia PM Ghannouchi today. She encouraged transition to open democracy and on-going reforms."

1710 GMT: In Mauritania, the family of Yacoub Ould Dahoud, who set himself on fire on Monday inside his car in front of the Senate building in Nouakchott, has confirmed that he has died.

1650 GMT: EA readers looking for an introduction to the current issues in Algeria may wish to read analyses by Hugh Roberts and by Amal Boubekeur.

1615 GMT: Earlier today see 1420 GMT), we noted the comment of one former Algerian Prime Minister Sid-Ahmed Ghozali that "change is inevitable". Now we learn of an interview with another former Prime Minister, Ahmed Benbitour, who says the situation is "explosive" and calls for a new Constitution and Presidential elections over the next 15 months.

1610 GMT: Quote of the Day? As protestors gathered outside Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi's offices today, the anti-riot squad at the barricades reportedly said, "Do whatever you want to do but please don't storm the office of the Prime Minister. That is a red line."

1525 GMT: A man in Casablanca, depressed over family problems, has reportedly doused himself with gasoline and set himself ablaze.

A reader informs us that, in an under-reported case, two unemployed university graduates attempted self-immolation several months ago in front of the Parliament building in Rabat. (Another reader has now pointed us to video of even earlier incidents.)

1510 GMT: El Watan reports that, amidst recent protests, SMS text messages in Algeria have been delayed for up to 12 hours.

1430 GMT: During today's protests in Tunis, hundreds of demonstrators, carrying banners such as "No Place for Men of Tyranny in a National Unity Government", broke through a half-hearted police cordon at the office of Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi.

One demonstrator said, "We want to tell Mr Ghannouchi the definition of 'revolution' --- it means a radical change, not keeping on the same prime minister."

1425 GMT: A 25-year-old Sudanese man is being treated for second-degree burns after setting himself on fire with gasoline in Omdurman.

1420 GMT: The former Prime Minister of Algeria, Sid-Ahmed Ghozali, has considered events in both Algeria and Tunisia and concluded, "Change is inevitable."

1413 GMT: A picture of three men allegedly injured by police at today's protest in Algiers:

The regional leader of RCD in Bejaia, 260 kilometres (160 miles) east of Algiers, Reda Boudraa, suffered a head wound and was taken away by ambulance. The parliamentary leader of the RCD, Atmane Mazuz, was also injured (see 1030 GMT).

1405 GMT: 14h40: The official Algerian press agency APS reports seven policemen were injured in clashes today.

1400 GMT: The website of Algeria's opposition RCD party is back on-line after reportedly being off-line for 14 hours.

1303 GMT: A picture which says a lot about the march in Algeria this morning:

1255 GMT: The headquarters of the opposition RCD party is still surrounded by riot police. A party member claimed 40 people have been injured, treated at a nearby clinic or taken to hospital.

An attempt to march to the Plaza of 1 May was immediately suppressed by the police.

Algeria and Tunisia Videos: Saturday's Protests in Algiers and Tunis Tunisia (and Beyond) Video Discussion: Social Media and Reform in the Arab World Tunisia Snapshot: US Media Try to Interpret the Uprising Tunisia Music Video: El General's Latest Song "Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, All Must Be Freed" Tunisia (and Beyond) Friday LiveBlog: Debating the Future, Mourning the Past

1145 GMT: Photojournalist Bilel Zihan was arrested by police after he took pictures of a protester being injured. He has been released after questioning for two hours; sources say the memory card on his camera was erased.

1120 GMT: An image from this morning's protest in Algiers:

1110 GMT: Ahram Online notes Friday's three cases of self-immolation in Egypt, including an unemployed 35-year-old man who was seriously wounded.

1030 GMT: Back to our opening story about today's march in Algeria....

There is a large police presence, with several helicopters, which began about 5 a.m. (0400 GMT) to prevent the march of the opposition Rally for Culture and Democracy.

About 300 demonstrators have defied the ban. Dozens of police in riot gear have blockaded RCD headquarters, and several people have reportedly been injured by police batons outside the building Some were taken to hospital; others were treated at a special clinic set up nearby.

The parliamentary leader of the RCD, Atmane Mazuz, was arrested Saturday morning, released, and then wounded in the face in scuffles with police. He has been taken to hospital.

Earlier, thousands of demonstrators from Tizi Ouzou and Bejaia were turned back by police at checkpoints.

1025 GMT: In Saudi Arabia, a man who set himself on fire on Friday has died.

The self-immolation, in the town of Samtah in the southwest, is the first known case in the Kingdom.

1020 GMT: About 400 police officers have joined hundreds of demonstrators in today's of march in Tunis.

The officers are seeking better working conditions and a change in their "unfair" portrayal in the media.

On Friday, police marched in several other cities in Tunisia.

0810 GMT: The Guardian of London claims that a significant number of political prisoners are still held in Tunisia. The article quotes a representative of Amnesty International:

Most of the prisoners of conscience – people who had been imprisoned for their views – have been released. But there is a second group of people: those who were convicted under the anti-terrorism legislation. How many there are is a matter of dispute but people talk about between 500 and 1,000.

Lawyer Samir Ben Amor says the number of detainees is in the "dozens" but acknowledges the problem, "People say that all political prisoners have been freed but there are still people in prison who are being held under the anti-terror laws who have had confessions tortured out of them. Part of the problem is that the government did not recognise the term political prisoner."

Earlier this week the Government said it had agreed that all political prisoners would be freed, and some Ministers said the releases had already taken place.

0740 GMT: Meanwhile, in Tunisia, thousands of people marched on Friday in Tunis, persisting in the call for the complete dissolution of the former ruling party Constitutional Democracy Rally (RCD).

The rally was the biggest since the fall of the Ben Ali regime, bringing together a cross-section of workers, students, and activists, "Long Live the Revolution" and "Death to the Dictatorship". Police ensured that the march, along Habib Bourguiba Avenue, did not reach the Ministry of Interior but otherwise stood by and did not interfere

Tunisia's trade union confederation, UGTT, has called for a general strike today.

Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi, in what appeared to be another attempt to stem the calls for the Cabinet's dissolution before elections in March, said last night that he would not stand for office and would retire from politics after the ballot.

0720 GMT: The focus could shift to Algeria today, where the opposition Rally for Culture and Democracy party has insisted it will proceed with a march despite the refusal of Algiers authorities to grant a permit. "We claim the right to march peacefully in our capital," the RCD asserted yesterday afternoon.

The march is scheduled for 10 a.m. (0900 GMT) from the Place de la Concorde to the Parliament in central Algiers. Rallies are banned under a State of Emergency in force since 1992.

There were more developments on Friday. As we noted in updates, 30 academics, journalists, and academics praised the events in Tunisia and called for "the convergence of all...citizen initiatives, associations, unions, and political parties going in the direction of lifting the yoke of public life and for advent of democratic change in Algeria".

And then possibly bigger news: the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LADDH), four Algerian autonomous unions, and other political formations including the RCD and the Socialist Formations Front "created a coalition that will meet continuously". The new group will call for the lifting of the 1992 state of emergency and the "opening" of media and political activity.

In a sign that the big event may be deferred, the coalition did not reach a consensus on today's march. Instead, they declared plans for a rally on 9 February, the anniversary of the state of emergency.

Still, Mostefa Bouchachi, chairman of the LADDH, told Agence France Press that while the parties at the meetings had not officially endorsed today's rally, "Most people will participate, I think."