RABAT – Several hundred people gathered Sunday in Rabat and Casablanca for the start of protests expected in several Moroccan cities to call for further democratic reforms and social justice.
More than 1,000 people, including many Islamists, rallied in Rabat in the morning. “The Moroccan people demand change!” protesters shouted in the city, calling for the government to resign and holding up placards reading: “For the freedom and dignity of the Moroccan people.”
No major police presence could be seen. Several hundred people were also protesting in Casablanca, chanting “No to corruption and cronyism.” Some also called for: “A king who rules but does not govern.”
Protests were expected in other Moroccan cities to mark a month since demonstrations first erupted in the country as part of a tide of contestation sweeping the Arab world. The so-called “February 20 movement” called for Sunday’s protests to go ahead despite King Mohammed VI announcing sweeping democratic reforms last months, including an elected prime minister and broader personal freedoms.
