French Colons Riot in Algeria; Challe Declares State of Siege; De Gaulle Prohibits All Meetings

ALGIERS, Algeria, Jan. 24--Angry crowds fought riot police with guns tonight, goaded by French rightist leaders to rise against President Charles de Gaulle. The French commander termed it a mutiny and placed the rebellious capital under martial law and ordered regiments of troops into the city.

Gen. Maurice Challe, supreme commander in Algeria, warned in a radio address, "The mutiny will not win against the French army." He proclaimed a state of siege and forbade gathering of more than three persons.

DeGaulle and Premier Michel Debre rushed back to Paris to deal with the crisis, which erupted because DeGaulle fired Gen. Jacques Massu, hero of Algeria's million French settlers, as Algiers area commander. Massu was suspected of opposing De Gaulle's more liberal policy for Algeria.

Despite the state of siege which puts this city of more than half a million under control of the military, an 8 p.m. curfew was ignored by thousands of rebellious townsmen.

French Ban Meetings

PARIS, Jan. 24--The French government tonight prohibited all public meetings in France.

No explanation was given for the order but it obviously was in consequence of the oubreak of violence in Algiers.

The order went out to the prefects of all departments through metropolitan France.

It specifically banned "any public gathering of a general fashion and all manifestations in public places." No time limit was set for the ban.

The government apparently was moving to prevent any demonstrations Monday in Paris and other cities in support of the Algerian fighters. The Algerian rightwingers have many backers in France. There apparently were no demonstrations in France tonight.