New Algerian protest against president's bid for 5th term

Algerian journalists are surrounded by police officers as they demonstrate at the Freedom of the Press square in Algiers, Algeria, to denounce their media outlets' refusal to let them cover demonstrations against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term, Algeria, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Fateh Gudoum)

An Algerian plainclothes police officer tries to grab the cellphone of a reporter as she was demonstrating with colleagues to denounce their media outlets' refusal to let them cover demonstrations against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term, Algeria, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)

ALGIERS, Algeria – Police are deploying around Algeria's presidential headquarters and parliament ahead of a new demonstration against ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term.

The social media-driven protest movement is urging demonstrators to stay peaceful at Friday's protest, which is set to begin after midday Muslim prayer services.

Such protests are unusual in Algeria, where questions are growing about Bouteflika's fitness for office after a 2013 stroke that has left him largely hidden from public.

Riot police vans have lined the boulevard leading to the presidential headquarters Friday. Protest organizers issued an appeal for demonstrators to stay 2 meters away from police cordons, to bring families and to clean up after the march.

It's the latest of several protests in recent days against Bouteflika's candidacy for the April 18 election.