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epa02603132 Algerian Leader of the Gathering for the Democracy and Culture (RCD) party Said Sadi (C) flashes a victory sign as he stands atop a police vehicle during a protest in Algiers, Algeria, 26 febuary 2011. Hundreds of protesters on 26 February took part in the first demonstrations held in Algeria since the lifting of the 19-year-old state of emergency earlier this week, witnesses said. The protesters gathered in the centre of the capital Algiers, despite the protest ban which is still in place. Security officers maintained a large presence. In the past they have used violence to break up such demonstrations. The country's state of emergency, in place since 09 February 1992, was officially ended on 22 Febuary 2011. It had allowed the state wide-reaching powers to interfere in political activity. EPA/STR