Hundreds of school teachers and students protested in the Algerian capital on Wednesday amid fears that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika plans to extend his two-decade rule.

French President Emmanuel Macron urged Algerian authorities to organise a "reasonable" transition after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika dropped a bid for a fifth term in office and scrapped upcoming elections.

Barristers across Algeria on Monday joined strike action against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term in office, a day after the ailing leader's return from hospital in Switzerland.

Algeria's oldest museum, home to some of the country's most valuable art, was vandalised during protests against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term, the culture ministry said Saturday.

A lawyer acting on behalf of an unnamed Algerian citizen has filed a petition with a Swiss court requesting that Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in Switzerland for medical treatment, be placed under a trusteeship for his own protection.

The petition came as tens of thousands of people protested in Algeria against the 82-year-old ailing leader's bid to secure a fifth term in the country's April 18 elections.

Tens of thousands protested across Algeria on Friday in the biggest rallies yet against ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term, despite the defiant leader's warning of the risk of "chaos".

Ailing Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Thursday warned of the risk of "chaos," on the eve of a major planned protest against his bid for a fifth term in office.

Massive protests that have gripped Algeria might resemble another Arab Spring but those seeking democratic change are mindful of history and want to avoid more upheaval, analysts say.

Police deployed Wednesday in the Algerian capital with water cannons, a day after thousands of students demonstrated against ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's re-election bid.

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's offer of a new constitution and a truncated next term does not appear to have satisfied protesters, who faced off with riot police overnight.

Crowds of mainly young protesters demonstrated into the early hours of Monday after Bouteflika's campaign manager formalized the president's candidacy for a fifth term in an April 18 election.