Algerians were on edge after members of several families whose homes were demolished climbed the Constantine Bridge, threatening to commit suicide. In an unexpected move, a group of residents whose shanty homes in the pine neighborhood of the Toot district in the municipality of Constantine (390 kilometers east of the Algerian capital) were torn down threatened to jump from the top of the Sidi Messid Bridge (Hospital Bridge) yesterday, demanding that local authorities urgently find a solution to their situation and provide them with adequate social housing.
Adding to the shock among Algerians is the fact that among the individuals threatening to commit suicide, representing six families, there are those with disabilities. Videos that circulated on social media in the past hours, filmed from the top of the bridge, showed heads of the families threatening to throw themselves off.
One of the video’s narrators said, "Our homes in the 'shali' (shack dwellings) were demolished, and we were expelled along with our wives, daughters, and sons… Our call is to the authorities, especially the Algerian people… today it is our turn, and tomorrow it will be yours… are we not Algerians?"
In response, local and civil authorities hastened to try to dissuade those involved from taking this step. However, officials clarified that "this concerns homes that were constructed illegally just weeks ago," and that "local services have a program for various housing types, which residents of the municipality can benefit from regularly and which comply with applicable regulations."
Meanwhile, the videos that spread widely on social media caused panic among Algerians, amid fears that the individuals would take drastic action by jumping from one of the highest bridges in the country, as the Constantine province is known for its bridges and is dubbed "The City of Hanging Bridges," with the bridge in question witnessing many individual suicide cases annually.
Many condemned the actions of the six families, considering it not a solution. Some questioned, "What will they gain by throwing themselves from the top of the bridge and dying, except increasing the burden on their children?" Others remarked, "If every citizen committed suicide due to social problems, the country would be empty." Meanwhile, a number of citizens blamed local authorities for the lack of fairness in the distribution of homes and apartments.
