1934 Constantine riots (original) (raw)

The 1934 Constantine riots was an anti-Jewish riot that erupted in the Algerian city of Constantine. The background of the tension between Jews and Muslims in the city was rooted in the different manner in which Jews and Muslims had been treated in the Algerian state by the French colonial government. It is uncertain what the exact cause of the riots was, though various accounts suggest that the riots were triggered by an altercation between a Jewish man and some Muslims at the Sidi Lakhdar Mosque in Constantine. Multiple sources report that 25 Jews and 3 Muslims died over the course of the three-day riot, and several Jewish establishments were pillaged. The events have also been described as a pogrom.