launched a punitive campaign to eradicate the resistance. The Siege of Laghouat began on 21 November and concluded with the storming of the town on 4 December. Several days of brutal massacres followed, which included one of the first recorded uses of chemical weapons on civilians. About two-thirds of the population perished, which became known locally as the Khalya (Arabic: emptiness). It also started a local tradition of protecting young boys from evil with an earring (then done to disguise them as girls). Other settlements quickly capitulated following the example set at Laghouat, and the French used the town as a gateway for a land route to Sub-Saharan Africa, furthering their colonial ambitions. During World War II, the Laghouat prison camp held British and Commonwealth servicemen, under the authority of Vichy France. The camp also held a large number of Jews who were described by the French authorities as Communists. Following the war, captured German soldiers were held at the camp. Post-colonial period In January 2012, Laghouat was the site of anti-government protests over improper housing, infrastructure, and treatment of the elderly by police. The police used tear gas to disperse the protesters. Arts and culture Laghouat has a long tradition as a meeting place and cultural center, and has developed handicrafts based around the local raw materials. In modern times, sand blasting art has emerged in Laghouat. Al-Taher Jadid is a local master of the form. Traditional dress The traditional dress does not differ greatly from what is prevalent in the ancient cities, especially in the steppe and desert region. As for the man, there are the brannos, the djellaba, the kandoora, the Arab trousers, the innovated “bra” chest, the shirt and the turban, which vary in size and have shrunk over time. As for what can be mentioned regarding women’s clothing, there is what is called “Qanbouz,” which is a serene veil that only protrudes one eye, and it was made of blue and then white cloth, and it had ancient analogues, like other cities, such as the “Fattah veil” and there is the dress, the holly, the protection and the khmer. .. However, these traditional clothes are almost extinct now for the sake of modern and imported clothes, which necessitates the establishment of a local museum of crafts, traditional clothes and jewelry that will serve history and the balance of developments and social changes and the formation