Algeria Algeria - As Europe celebrates its victorious fascism and the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Algeria is remembering a darker anniversary: ​​the colonial-era massacre that broke out that day.

In a news this week, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune set the commemoration as national pride and called the event a prelude to Algeria's struggle for independence.

"The commemoration of May 8 reflects the commitment of Algerians to freedom and dignity, who walked out to the streets with their bare hands to face the enemy," Tebboune said.

During World War II, more than 500,000 Tilars from North Africa, West Africa and Madagascar fought for France. Some people volunteered, while others were forcibly applied. Many people died. Overall, their salary is usually lower than that of European soldiers.

Many Algerian veterans believe their services will bring greater rights. But when the war ended, the Algerians who dared to demand them were suppressed and violent, even if French leader General Charles de Gauler held up how “the causes of freedom and justice” prevailed throughout France and its colonies, including Algeria.

(On May 8, 1945, Algerians waved flags on the city streets of Ain Temouchent, Guelma, Kherrata and Setif, and restored the pre-war call for independence. After protesters faced a police blaze, anti-France riots broke out, killing more than 100 people. French authorities said France launched an air and ground attack, killing thousands of Algerians-45,000, about 3,000, according to the French Statistics Office.

The end of the war sparked similar confusion in British colonies in East and West Africa, where 375,000 people were enlisted. Soldiers returning home expect to receive rewards for their services, but instead face racism and a persistent lack of political representation. Both were killed for the subsequent rebellion of the Maomao King during the British rule in Kenya, during which thousands were killed.

In recent years, the memorials there and South Africa have served African veterans. Elsewhere, including Senegal, they commemorate the injustice and violence of many people after the war.

For many in Algeria, the May 8 Holocaust awakened anger and resolved to later fuel the war of independence in Algeria.

"They learned that the only unique path to independence is armed struggle," historian Mohamed Ferrad said in an interview this week.

Week-by-week activities are held in Europe, with leaders focusing on the plight of Ukraine in their struggle with Russia and values ​​such as freedom and democracy. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to speak on a similar topic Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the War Department veterans in Algeria featured a series of national events and group members on their anniversary, which were held by veterans and historians in person, 132 years after French colonialism.

The Holocaust was debated in popular books and films in Algeria and France, and it was a recurring theme when tensions broke out between the two countries.

Tebboune and Macron announced the Truth Commission-style "Archive Memorial" in 2022, led by the Council of Historians of the two countries. However, its activities have stalled due to issues such as immigration and the juggling relationship between France in Algeria and its regional rival Morocco.

French leaders, including Macron, called for truth and recognition, but were unable to meet Algeria's demand for a formal apology for the Holocaust.

"Algeria will never be forgotten or used as a memory problem for bargaining chips out of loyalty to martyrs," Tebboune wrote in a letter Wednesday.

A delegation of about 30 French parliamentarians from left and centrist parties arrived in Algiers on Wednesday to attend the Holocaust commemoration.