People, police clash in restive Moroccan city
New clashes have erupted between protesters and police in the Moroccan city of al-Hoceima, where people have been holding anti-government demonstrations since the death of a fishmonger late last year.
Dozens of youths threw stones at police forces in the Sidi Abed neighborhood of al-Hoceima on Thursday, as police fired tear gas to disperse them.
A police officer and a protester were injured in the clashes, which lasted two hours.
While the government has been calling for calm, al-Hoceima has been the scene of non-stop unrest since Mouhcine Fikri, the fishmonger, was killed inside a garbage compactor in October 2016. He had climbed into the compactor to retrieve his merchandise seized by local officials but was pressed to death when the compactor was activated. There are allegations that the local officials at the scene knew he was inside when they started the machine. The government has denied that accusation, however.
The protests have taken new dimensions as well, with people also protesting corruption, underdevelopment, and unemployment. They say the Rif region, where al-Hoceima is located, has long been neglected by the government.
Rabat has done little to assuage the people’s concerns in Rif. Authorities arrested protest leader Nasser Zefzafi on May 29, sparking a new wave of protests. Other activists have been arrested since then as well.
Read more:
The Thursday clashes were a first instance of violence in days of largely peaceful demonstrations.
Rif was also a flashpoint during a popular revolt against the rule of Moroccan King Mohamed VI in 2011, when uprisings and revolutions began in several Arab monarchies in the Middle East and North Africa. The king relinquished some of his powers back then, but the death of Fikri gave rise to new protests.
Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
Algeria votes with President Tebboune expecting easy re-election
Libya's oil output drops over 50% amid political standoff
Israeli forces kill 7 more Palestinians in West Bank
VIDEO | US presidential election
Netanyahu fires military affairs minister Gallant
Hezbollah attacks turn Israel’s Haifa into a ghost town
Iran’s FM meets Pakistani PM, discusses bilateral ties, Israeli atrocities
Iran ramps up gasoline output amid rising demand
UK foreign secretary under pressure over denial of genocide in Gaza
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
