Thousands of people marched through the streets of Casablanca, Morocco's economic capital, on Sunday to denounce social inequalities, demand the release of "political detainees" and appeal for "true democracy", AFP noted.

A demonstration organized by the "Moroccan Social Front" (FSM) brought together a few thousand people on Sunday, February 23, in the streets of Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco, AFP noted. It was not possible to obtain mobilization figures either from the organizers or from the authorities.

The organizer, the WSF, is a recently created collective of four leftist parties, trade union organizations such as the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT) and associations, such as the AMDH, which focuses on human rights.

"This is the first demonstration by the Moroccan Social Front to say stop to anti-social and anti-democratic policies, stop the deterioration of human rights, stop the policies that have led to the deterioration of purchasing power," Ali told AFP. Boutwala, one of the members of the national office of the WSF.

An anniversary date of the February 20 Movement

The demonstrators protested unemployment, the high cost of living, the failure of public services while demanding "the release of all political detainees", starting with those of Hirak. This social movement, which agitated the north of the country in 2016-2017, died out after a wave of arrests which led to heavy judicial convictions for the hard core of the dispute.

"Long live Zefzafi", "we are all Zefzafi", shouted the demonstrators, in reference to Nasser Zefzafi, the leader of the popular movement of Hirak, sentenced in 2018 to a sentence of twenty years in prison for "endangering the safety of the 'State". "Long live the people," also chanted the crowd by taking up a protest title of rap that has become very popular after the conviction of one of its authors for "insulting the police" in late 2019.

Protesters who waved large banners and waved red flags then dispersed calmly.

The date of this march deliberately coincides with the anniversary of the February 20 Movement, a protest movement that had agitated Morocco in 2011, at the time of the Arab Spring.

The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, promised several months ago a "new development system" in response to the deep inequalities that focus on social discontent. Regarding freedoms, the government believes it has successfully completed a democratic transition after 2011 thanks to the reform of the Constitution and rejects all criticism of human rights defenders.

With AFP

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Download the app

google-play-badge_FR