The Maltese Herald has successfully got the full story behind the massive protests sweeping Morocco. We are currently in contact with sources based in Morocco. Protests in Morocco are very unusual after the country avoided the major turmoil of the Arab Spring in 2011.
Last week, a group of people went to the Health Minister’s Office, Minister Amine Tahraoui to protest over issues with the national health system. The protestors were declined a meeting and a government official told them to “go and protest in front of Parliament”. Minister Amine Tahraoui was also heckled during a visit to an ongoing hospital construction project which is being delayed by alleged corruption. After the Minister ignored the protestors, protests began breaking out last Saturday in Rabat. The Moroccan police reacted by arrested hundreds of protestors, notably the protestors who were speaking to the media – hence why the news of these protests are coming in late to many press outlets. Protests continued on Sunday with the polcie arrested many more protestors.
Last Monday, protests continued but a police van rammed itself unto a crowd of protestors killing at least two people. This event escalated the situation severely with protestors coming out in stronger force and riots began as a result. Pitched battles between police and protestors started taking place with protestors storming police stations.
Protests have also spread in Agadir, outside Rabat because Agadir is the hometown of the parents of the incumbent Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.
Demonstrators in the video below can be heard chanting “Al-shahab jurid suqut al-fasad” – The people want the downfall of corruption. The original chant of the Arabic Spring was: “Al-Shahab jurid, nisqat al-nizam” (The people want the downfall of the dictator).
We have also obtained the footage of the moment when Moroccan Police rammed their van unto protestors. The videos below are graphic.
Newsroom
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