MOHAMED TADJADIT

Arts Award | Nominee | Freedom of Expression Awards

Mohamed Tadjadit, known as “the poet of the Hirak,” is an emblematic figure of peaceful resistance in Algeria. Born in the Casbah of Algiers, he emerged in the public eye in 2019 through his poetry in darija (Algerian Arabic), recited in public spaces or widely shared on social media. His voice-raw, poetic, and deeply rooted in social reality-quickly became a popular expression of the anger, hope, and dignity of a people striving for freedom.

Through his verses, Tadjadit denounces repression, corruption, injustice, and the silencing of dissenting voices. He represents a generation that refuses silence and chooses speech as a tool of resistance. His style blends traditional oral rhythms with contemporary political messages, offering a form of poetry that is vibrant, committed, and immediately accessible, especially to youth.

Since 2024, his work has also evolved into viral digital mobilisations, such as his campaign #Manich_Radi ("I am not satisfied"), which energized a large segment of Algerian society. Despite arrests, imprisonment, trials, and smear campaigns orchestrated against him, Tadjadit has never stopped speaking out. He continues to write, recite, and create. He gives voice to the oppressed, keeps the memory of the Hirak alive, and constantly reminds us that poetry, in authoritarian regimes, can be an act of resistance. His work is both a reflection of contemporary Algerian society and a cry for liberation.

Below is a translation of one of his poems:

لعنوكم لجبال و تحالفو عليكم لأجيال

في أرض المغدورة كي فتحنالكم لحبال ولاو علينا غوال و أسباب غير معذورة

بلغوا جدودنا سوال و احكولهم على أحوال جزائر رهي محڨورة

حكموها الجهال داروا العدالة تحت المال و الحرية محظورة

The mountains cursed you, And the generations conspired against you.

On the betrayed land, We offered you the ropes of hope,

Yet you turned into beasts upon us, With reasons that cannot be excused.

Carry our questions to the ancestors, Tell them of Algeria’s condition.

A homeland oppressed, dishonored.

The ignorant took power, They placed justice under money’s weight,

And made freedom forbidden.