The Battle of Algiers Page #9

EMPLOYEE:

Intersection, between Consular Street and

General Laquiere Avenue ...

36VARIED FLASHES. POLICE STATIONS. OUTSIDE. DAY.

In front of police stations: Ain-Zeboudja ... rue Marengo ... and all

the others ... in the Casbah ... in the European quarters ... sandbag

entrenchments are being prepared, barbed wire is being stretched,

metallic lookout turrets are being set up. It is very hot. Workers and

policemen work in silence. There is an oppressive atmosphere.

SPEAKER:

"Ordinance of the Prefecture of Algiers:

All police stations in Algiers, without

exception and until further notice, are

required to prepare and maintain external

protection devices. The shifting of guards

outside must continue uninterrupted

twenty-four hours a day. Sentinels must

be equipped with automatic weapons ..."

37EUROPEAN AND CASBAH PHARMACIES. MUSTAPHA HOSPITAL. OUTSIDE/INSIDE. DAY.

View of pharmacies in the European quarters and in the Casbah.

The shelves, medicines; people who are buying. The Mustapha hospital,

reserved for Algerians. The wards: hospitalized Algerians.

SPEAKER:

"The Governor-General of Algiers decrees:

Article No. 1 -- The sale of medicinal

and pharmaceutical products, effective

for the cures of gunshot wounds, can be

made only to those who present written

authorization from the Commissioner of

Police.

Article No. 2 -- Directors of all

hospitals and clinics must produce to the

police authorities an immediate listing

of all patients admitted to their

institutions for the care and treatment

of gunshot wounds."

38CASBAH ROAD BLOCKS. OUTSIDE. DAY.

The Casbah is being closed off. Every point of entrance, every alley,

every street that joins the Casbah and the European quarters has been

blocked off with wooden horses and with barbed wire nine feet high.

There are also workers, policemen, and soldiers who are working at the

barricades.

Beyond them, on the other side of the barbed wire, the Algerians seem

to be encaged.

SPEAKER:

"The Prefecture of Algiers states: In

the course of these last few days, dozens

of assaults have been committed in this

city. We have reason to believe that the

assailants originate in the Casbah, and

that they have always found a speedy and

easy refuge in the alleys of the Arab

quarters. As a result, and in order to

alleviate without delay the insecurity

that now reigns in the city, the

Prefecture of Algiers has decided that

entrance to the Casbah can only he

permitted at those points in the blockade

under military control, where citizens in

transit must exhibit their documents at

request, and submit to eventual searches."

The Casbah is imprisoned, like a huge concentration camp. Only five

streets have been left open, the widest streets. There are five exits

where the wooden horses serve to restrict passage, and where some

wooden posts for the guards are being built.

Every exit is marked by a sign with large lettering.

39 BLOCKADE MARENGO. OUTSIDE. DAY. AUGUST 10, 1956.

At each blockade, there are two ramps, an entrance and an exit to the

Casbah. The Algerians and some Europeans crowd around in both

directions. The soldiers are wearing fatigues with helmets and machine

guns. The Europeans are not requested to show identity papers.

The Algerians are often frisked, and accept this fact silently,

patiently, without any sign of intolerance. But if the soldiers attempt

to search a woman, then, it is different.

A woman begins to shout, while waving her arms wildly, and pushes away

the soldier who had tried to search her. A stream of incoherent words.

Other Algerians intervene; they push forward threateningly. The soldier

is young; he is timid and frightened. He looks over his back for help.

A police officer approaches. He has a different tone, and a very self-

assured manner. He shouts at the Algerians to calm down.

OFFICER:

Are you mad, touching one of their women?

Go on, go on, alright ... Go ahead, keep

moving!

The woman passes the blockade, but still continues her protest with a

shrill and unbearable voice.

40RUE PHILIPPE. OUTSIDE. DAY. 8:35 A.M.

An Algerian woman walks along the sidewalk. She is elderly, fat, and is

wearing a traditional costume with her face veiled. She walks slowly

toward a bar, which has its tables outside, and already some customers.

Near the bar, leaning against a wall, there is an Algerian who now

begins to move and goes to meet the old woman. They greet one another

with much warmth, like a mother and son who haven't seen each other for

a long time.

They embrace, and the man searches at her breast among the folds of her

veil. He finds a revolver which is hung by a cord, and grabs it. They

are at ten or twelve feet distance from the bar. At a table, there is a

French soldier having coffee with cream, croissant, and an open

newspaper.

The Algerian continues to embrace the old woman, and aims from above

her shoulders. Only one shot; the newspaper rips, the soldier tries to

get up again, his face full of blood. Then he collapses on the table.

The Algerian has hidden the revolver in the woman's veil. The two

separate from their embrace. They seem terrified and surprised, and

move away from each other in different directions while the people are

rushing about and SHOUTING.

41DE LA LYRE MARKET. OUTSIDE. DAY. 9:10 A.M.

The cries of the peddlers are loud and incoherent. An Algerian is

squatting on his heels in front of his wares scattered on the ground:

clusters of aromatic herbs, jars of spices. A youth is in front of him,

and from time to time, he looks around him. He seems to be waiting.

Now he bends down and begins to rummage through the herbs. He selects a

bunch of mint, weighs it in his hand, and argues the price with the

peddler.

A policeman in the market passes nearby and watches. The youth waits a

second, then turns toward the back of the policeman, and stretches out

his arm.

He has in his hand the bunch of mint; a revolver is hidden among the

greens. He shoots twice.

The French policeman falls down. The youth drops the mint with the

revolver among the other herbs, and moves away in the midst of the

crowd.

42 RUE DE BAR-EL-QUED. OUTSIDE. DAY. 10:15 A.M.

In front of the police station there are sandbags and a police guard at

duty with helmet and machine gun. The policeman jumps to attention and

salutes. An officer has come out of the station and returns his salute.

He moves away and walks along the sidewalk.

There are few people. An Algerian seems to appear from nowhere, and

walks behind him. He is very young, is wearing a short-sleeved shirt

and blue jeans.

The officer turns at the first corner. Further on, there is a row of

cars and a metallic sign which warns that the parking space is reserved

for police vehicles only.

The officer hears the steps of the boy behind him, and summons him in a

brusque manner.

OFFICER:

What are you doing here? Where are you

going?

The boy shrugs his thin, shoulders and lowers his head.

BOY:

(in servile tone)

I'm going for a swim; my friends are

waiting for me.

The officer curses under his breath and proceeds. He stops in front of

a Dyna-Panhard, parked not too far away.

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