Police in Casablanca stopped on Sunday dozens of protesters from marching toward a popular square in the country’s economic capital to denounce price hikes and normalization with Isreal.
Security authorities in the Anfa district cordoned off various streets leading towards Victory Square in Darb Omar where the protesters planned to march.
Chanting “No to the high cost of living, yes to decent living,” “Moroccan Palestinian until the uprooting of the Zionist.” The protesters, in the presence of a number of leaders of left-wing parties and human rights bodies, raised slogans condemning high prices and normalization with Israel.
Independent sources who spoke to Hespress estimated the number of participants in the protest at about 400 people, while security sources said that the number does not exceed 200 people at most.
Oxford Economics warned that an increase in food products in Morocco, coupled with overlapping resentment over rights restrictions could turn into a destabilizing national movement.
The firm said that while the Moroccan government has reinstated wheat subsidies, provided cash subsidies to transport operators, lifted the minimum wage, and increased the family grant, cost-of-living protests are expected to emerge nonetheless.
“Morocco remains one of the most stable countries on the continent, but even if the government can keep a lid on dissent, Moroccan households are taking financial strain and we are likely to see further protests to make this clear”, wrote the group.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.