Perilous
Times
Thousands demonstrate in Morocco's largest city
By PAUL SCHEMM, Associated Press
CASABLANCA, Morocco — Thousands marched through Morocco's largest
city on Sunday calling for greater democracy and an end to
corruption even as the king prepares to unveil new constitutional
amendments to address calls for reform.
There was only a light police presence blocking off traffic as
about 6,000 protesters flowed through the wide streets of downtown
Casablanca chanting slogans against the government. Past
demonstrations had been violently dispersed.
The march showed the continuing viability of the February 20
pro-democracy movement, even as the king's own constitutional
reform process seeks to co-opt many of their demands.
"In Morocco we learned something, never trust the Makhzen," said
demonstrator Kamel Reda, referring to the government and the
king's advisers. "We don't believe them out of experience."
Unlike the popular uprisings sweeping other Arab countries,
Morocco's activists are not calling for the king's ouster, just a
limiting of his powers and changing the country into a
constitutional monarchy.
On March 9, the king acknowledged protester demands and ordered a
panel of experts to modify the constitution to limit his powers,
strengthen the judiciary and promote greater democracy.
The February 20 movement expressed skepticism at the process,
noting that the king had appointed the constitutional committee
and so the activists refused to participate in the process.
On Friday, the king was presented the new constitution and it was
shown to political party leaders. Though its contents have not
been made public, media accounts suggest many of its provisions
meet protesters' demands.
But Sunday's demonstrators remained deeply skeptical of the new
constitution because of the way it had been drawn up, and many of
the slogans chanted called for greater popular input into reform.
Jihad Oufaraji, a 34-year-old activist, said that while he had
heard the new constitution had some good elements to it, there was
still the whole overarching power structure that had to be
changed.
"We need to clean up the country of the thieves and take back the
money they are sending out of the country," he said as marchers
chanted behind him.
Many protesters carried pictures of Kamal Amari, a 30-year-old
member of the February 20 movement who died in a hospital on June
2 after allegedly being beaten by police at a protest a few days
earlier in the city of Safi, south of Casablanca.
The official coroner's report maintains he died from heart and
respiratory troubles from a pre-existing condition — something his
parents deny. Pictures of a bruised face bearing the slogan "we
are all Kamal Amari" were everywhere in the march.
A similar slogan was used after the death at police hands in Egypt
of young businessman Khaled Said, which helped spark the popular
uprising that a few months later brought down the president.
Since Amari's death, Moroccan police have refrained from violently
dispersing demonstrations as had been their earlier policy.