Thousands of people protested this Sunday in Rabat against “the rise in prices, repression and oppression”, in a demonstration in which the different participating organizations criticized “the political arrests” and “the trials against lovers of freedom”.
The march, called by the Moroccan Social Frontwhich includes various leftist parties, unions and human rights organizations, has lasted about two hours and toured the streets of the city center, from the gates of the medina to the Plaza de los Alawites, passing by the Moroccan Parliament building .
It has been made up of an amalgamation of trade union organizations such as the Democratic Labor Confederation, organizations defending freedoms such as the Moroccan Association for Human Rights and different groups, such as education officials or the disabled.
Under the common motto “against rising prices, oppression and poverty“, the different organizations have denounced the deterioration of social services, health, education and transport in the Maghreb country, “the repression of democratic freedoms” and “political arrests”.
“This country is corrupt!”, “What a shame, we are starving and your children are studying abroad!”, “What a shame about Morocco, homes in toilets, deaths on boats and a governed government” and “fictitious trials to lovers of freedom” were some of the slogans chanted at the protest, which ended peacefully.
On the banners held up by the demonstrators, some calling for the departure of the Moroccan presidentAziz Ajanuch, also read “where is the pension fund?”, “you have crushed us with the high cost of life”, “freedom for political prisoners” or “the 2023 budget is only for the rich”.
It’s about the first big protest in months in Morocco, a country where inflation reached 7.1 percent annually in October, which in the case of food and transportation stood at 10% and 12%, respectively, in the first eight months of 2022.
