The regime that has ruled Algeria since independence has always seemed invincible. After the Arab Spring, scholars provided various explanations as to why the regime did not face large protests. One of the key factors that journalists and scholars pointed to was fear among Algerians due to their previous experience with civil war. But, starting in February 2019, fear no longer dominated and was replaced by anger. Algerians from different segments of society participated in large numbers in protests across the country. In this paper, I will use process tracing, participant observation, and qualitative interviews to explain how Algerians’ fear turned into anger and led them to prevent Abdelaziz Bouteflika from being elected for a fifth term. Borrowing from the women and politics literature on women parliamentarians, I will focus on how “critical actors” engaged in “critical acts” that helped maintain the silmya of the Hirak and stopped the Algerian army from using violence against protesters. In particular, I will focus on the interactions between these critical actors and the Algerian army or Le Pouvoir during the uprising. These critical actors included young men, women, and women from La Kabylie. Their presence not only transformed public space but sent a powerful message to the Algerian army that groups which it had excluded from the real centre of power posed a serious threat to its survival. The presence of women in particular transformed public space. This is important in the context of Algeria where it is rare to see women out on Fridays. Finally, inspired by Black feminist work on intersectionality, I will focus on the role played by women from La Kabylie who defied state orders and waved the Amazigh flag proudly. One particular woman became a hero and was recently released from prison. In the conclusion, this paper will call for future research on everyday acts of resistance in Algeria in the aftermath of the uprising.