The demonstrations of December 11, 1960 An Epic of a People who Wanted to Live
When the Algerians chose to take the path of freedom and knock on its door, they were certain, as Ahmed Shawqi said that:
Freedom has a door that every blood-stained hand knocks on.
The Algerians' march towards emancipation and self-realization was full of momentous events, drenched with martyrs’ blood of and brimming with epics, exploits, jihadist glories and great sacrifices, all of which were crowned with a supportive victory that raised high the heads of the Algerians. Amongst the turning points in the history of the great Algerian liberation Revolution were the demonstrations of December 11, 1960, which had truly the last wedge driven into the coffin of the crumbling colonialism. It was imperative for independent Algeria to celebrate this epic, and for our generations to pause and reflect on it, scrutinize its implications and learn its lessons.
These demonstrations took place in a special military context marked by the implementation of the strategy that was inaugurated by General de Gaulle in 1959, and which included the launching of a large-scale and long-term military operation within the framework of what was hitherto known as the Grand Challe Project, which followed the failure of extensive purges. This strategy centred on asphyxiating the Revolution by encircling Algeria with electrified barbed wire, mines, and intensive military observation posts, annihilating the units of the National Liberation Army in the mountains, eradicating the image of the Revolution in the cities and villages, and creating an administration loyal to the French army to replace the National Liberation Army, etc. But failure was the bitter harvest of this project.
As regards the political context in which these demonstrations took place, it was marked by the great confusion in which General de Gaulle found himself, which was evident in his political speech itself. The latter moved from focusing on the stage of "French Algeria which constitutes an integral part of the French territory" to the stage of "a call to wait for the Algerians to vote yes or no on the constitution." De Gaulle's speech, which he delivered on January 8, 1959, on the occasion of his election as President of the French Republic, was marred by overwhelming hesitation and he began to emphasize that "Algeria will enjoy an excellent position within the French group." He then eventually proposed the idea of self-determination after being despaired of eradicating the Liberation Front and convinced of the inability of the French army to achieve victory as well as the failure of the Constantine social project aimed at buying the consciences of Algerians and reducing their struggle to a mere ambition for social and economic development. So, on December 16, 1959, he announced the principle of self-determination through a vote on "independence and separation of, or integration within a French federation," hoping to win an Algerian majority that would support his colonial ideas and embody Algeria's integration into France. The demonstrations of December 11, 1960 came as a nightmare that haunted the colonial France and destroyed De Gaulle's hopes and European settlers’ ambitions to keep Algeria French forever.
De Gaulle was running after the illusion of creating “an Algerian Algeria that would be a State in which there is no place for the FLN”. He was exploiting the misery and war fatigue of the population and tried to create a “third force”. He created local councils through elections in which his supporters obtained a majority while opposing the idea of integration. He also sought to build an Algerian army of traitors and agents. However, the supporters of a French Algeria among Europeans and those who followed them rejected his project and met it with anger and strikes on December 9 and 10, 1960 when he visited Algeria to promote it.
Under these circumstances, the Algerian people rose up on December 11, 1960 in counter-demonstrations, defending their country and its sovereignty. It was a memorable day when Algeria was irrigated with the blood of martyrs. The demonstrations were well-organized, and the Algerian flag was raised high. Afterwards, De Gaulle returned to France disappointed and admitting that the situation was not what he thought it had been really.
The demonstrations of December 11, 1960 nullified those manoeuvres once and for all, and refuted by their intensity and the determination of its men and women, all the theories of those who believed or claimed that the Algerian people and the National Liberation Front were two different things." It demonstrated to the French government that there was no political force in Algeria that gained the confidence of the people other than the National Liberation Front and revealed to world public opinion the truth of what was happening in Algeria and thus forced de Gaulle to open negotiations with representatives of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic.
These demonstrations were characterized by strength, intensity and momentum, and Algerian flags were raised and the people chanted: "Long live Algeria and down with colonialism", "The territorial integrity of Algeria", "The Sahara is Algerian", "No to the division of Algeria". It was a huge shock for De Gaulle and the European supporters of French Algeria, ending the myth of the return of peace in the major cities and clearly refuting the idea of the victory of the colonial armies. It led to the balance tipping in favour of the revolution in the United Nations after the Algerian cause won 63 votes against 8 votes during the session on self-determination in the United Nations General Assembly on December 20, 1960, and the peoples of the world became increasingly convinced of the justice of the Algerian cause, and colonial France realized that its days in Algeria were numbered.
In short, these demonstrations highlighted the popular national and territorial unity through the unison of ranks behind the National Liberation Front party and its mouthpiece Government. During those demonstrations, the Algerian masses were liberated from fear and engaged in a direct confrontation with the French forces. Battles moved to the cities, pressure on the mujahideen in the mountains and deserts eased, the French forces outstretched, and their arsenal war was exhausted.
This is just a part of this unforgettable epic. Therefore, the leadership and people of the Algeria are today eager to preserve these feats, value them, and draw inspiration from them. May Algeria remain forever impregnable and sovereign.
The Ambassador Dr. Mahmoud Braham