PARDON FOR ALGERIANS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29696, 14 December 1961, Page 17

PARDON FOR ALGERIANS

(N .Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

PARIS. December 12 About 2500 Algerians imprisoned on charges arising from the Algerian war «ill be freed at the end of the year by Presidential pardon, usually reliable sasrees said tenicht. President de Gaulle’s pardon extends to all such detainees serving less than five rears, providing they have served two-thirds of their sentenced Details of the pardon—the most important granted since •he start of the Algerian conflict in 1954—have already been circulated to French prisons by the Justice Ministry. these sources said In Constantine, Algeria,

police used tear-gas last night to break up a “French Algeria” demonstration by 2000 Europeans, United Press Internationa! reported. The demonstration was called by clandestine tracts signed by the extremist underground Secret Army Organisation (OAS). It was to protest at police removal of a plaque placed near the spot where police recently shot dead a European who was involved in an OAS plastic bomb attack As part of the protest, al' European shopkeepers obeyed an OAS order to keep their shops shut during the day. The mob started inarching through the streets at night-

fall They sang the Euro-pean-Algerian theme song. “We the Africans” and the "Marseillaise.” denounced President de Gaulle, and twice tried to force their way through police cordons Police finally dispersed them after 90 minutes. A similar demonstration on a smaller scale took place in the nearby seaport of Bone Several hundred Europeans who were recently evacuated from homes located in the nvr*«t of a Moslem section ol he town marched in the stieets They smashed the home of a Moslem who has recently been the object of OAS bomb attacks and wrecked his car. No casualties were reported from the two incidents.