Thousands staged rallies in Moroccan cities yesterday demanding political reform and limits on the powers of King Mohammed VI, the latest protests demanding change that have rocked the region.
Between 3,000 and 4,000 people took to the streets of the capital Rabat, shouting: “The people want change” and denouncing corruption.
In Casablanca, the North African nation’s biggest city, more than 4,000 people came out demanding: “Freedom, dignity, justice,” an AFP correspondent reported.
Demonstrations were held in other Moroccan cities, including Marrakesh and the port of Tangier.
The protests were largely peaceful though there were reports of some minor unrest after they ended.
Thousands of young Moroccans have joined the “February 20” movement on the social networking site Facebook, calling for peaceful demonstrations demanding a new constitution limiting the king’s powers and more social justice.
The call has similar origins to the so-called “Facebook revolutions” that toppled decades-old regimes in Tunisia and Egypt and sparked deadly protests in Bahrain, Yemen and Algeria.
In Rabat, protesters carried banners that read: “The King must reign not govern” and “The people want a new constitution.”
“The Prime Minister must have broader powers and be accountable to the people,” said 52-year-old teacher Brahim Abu Dahal.
“I want a Morocco that’s more fair and with less corruption,” said a student demonstrator in Casablanca who asked not to be named.
“We’ve got nothing against the King, but we want more justice and work,” said another student who gave his name as Brahim.
After the protests, witnesses said groups of several dozen people looted some shops and threw stones at public buildings in two cities, tourist-hub Marrakesh and the northern port of Larache.
In Marrakesh, 150-200 people attacked and looted shops including a branch of restaurant chain McDonalds, a witness said.Similar incidents took place in Larache, several witnesses said, with young people attacking some public buildings, including a police post and a customs office.
In both cases security forces did not intervene, the sources said.
In the Spanish capital Madrid, around 60 people rallied in solidarity with the Moroccan demonstrations, waving Moroccan and Berber flags alongside banners demanding an end to “corruption and police repression”.
Other demonstrations were planned in Barcelona and Paris.
Ahead of the protests, Morocco promised to inject €1.4 billion in subsidies to soften price hikes for staples – a key factor among others including rampant unemployment behind the spreading unrest in the Arab world.
That came despite comments by analysts that Morocco was unlikely to see Tunisia or Egypt-style unrest due to ongoing reforms by the King, who has ruled the country for more than a decade.
Human rights and civil groups as well as independent journalists joined the movement, calling for the adoption of a democratic constitution.