Morocco: Record breaking 111 Gaza protests in a day
Morocco witnessed a record breaking day on January 19th with over 100 pro-Palestinian protests across the country, according to The New Arab.
Thousands of Moroccans took to the streets after Friday prayers, reiterating demands for Rabat to cut ties with Israel and to close its Tel Aviv liaison office. Demonstrators are said to have brandished both the Palestinian national flag and that of Hamas’ Al-Qassam armed wing.
READ: Pro-Palestinian protesters call on Morocco to condemn Gaza massacre
The Moroccan Authority for Advocating the Nation’s Causes, a local Islamist organization, claimed “Morocco witnessed 111 protests on Friday in 66 cities over the kingdom.”
One of the group’s members, Mohamed Al-Riahi, stated: “The message is directed to the Moroccan state to withdraw from the accursed normalisation agreement, especially considering the popular referendum rejecting it, as expressed through the organisation of more than 1500 demonstrations since 7 October.”
Since the beginning of the Gaza conflict on October 7th, pro-Palestine protests have served as a space for solidarity for the kingdom’s many political parties, including long-time rival Socialist and Islamist groups.
The record breaking protests follow Rabat’s January 10th decision to decline a petition urging the reversal of normalisation with Tel Aviv. The petition was endorsed by over 10,000 signatures, according to pro-Palestine activists. Rabat claims the refusal was simply over a bureaucratic technicality.
Morocco normalized relations with Israel in 2020.
READ: Moroccan civilians petition against Israel ties with Morocco
Since October 7th, Rabat and Tel Aviv have remained silent regarding the status of their relations. However, many have speculated a potential deterioration between the administrations based on the quiet marking of the 3rd anniversary of their normalization deal, on December 22nd.
Nevertheless, Morocco’s Tel Aviv liaison office has refuted the speculation, indicating that Rabat and Tel Aviv are maintaining normal relations despite public disapproval in Morocco.
The New Arab
