Casablanca to Experience a Tense Weekend

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA Rabat- Casablanca is about to experience a tense weekend. In addition to the city’s derby between Raja and WAC of Casablanca that will take place on Sunday, with its accompanying security challenges, a large number of protestors will occupy Casablanca’s on the same day in a march of anger against Benkirane’s social policies.

Every year on May 1^st, syndicates worldwide take to the streets for celebrations with great enthusiasm on the eve of the International Labor Day.

However, the Moroccan Labor Union (UMT), the Democratic Federation of Labor (FDT), and the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT) have chosen to take the streets this Sunday in a march of anger against the social policies of Benkirane’s government.

March with Political characters

In addition to the three syndicates, citizens from all the country’s regions will join together in the streets of Casablanca in the protest.

Additionally, the march will be headed by the General Union for Workers in Morocco (UGTM), whose secretary general Hamid Chabat is the also the head of the opposing Independence party.

“Thus, the march of anger is to be politically exploited by the Secretary General of Independence party Hamid Chabat, to attack the government,” reported Assabah.

The government’s “polite” reaction

On the other hand, Prime Minister and leader of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), Abdelilha Benkirane, was surprised that the syndicates will go on strike before the Labor Day on May 1^st.

Meanwhile, he stressed during a meeting of the PJD’s parliament group that he won’t “antagonize the syndicates because they called for a strike.”

Derby and the extra Security Challenges

The march of anger is to take place on Sunday at 8 am in Casablanca. This event will synchronize with a bigger event, Casablanca’s football derby between Raja and Wydade.

Casablanca’s derby is often preceded and followed by riots, chaos, and clashes between the two teams’ supporters, sometimes provoking police involvement.

These conditions make it hard for the local authorities to assure the safety of protestors and teams’ supporters in the streets of Casablanca.

In this regard, the city’s mandate of security has received new security reinforcements from other cities, in order to control the large crowds that will take the streets of Casablanca on Sunday, either for protesting against the government or for supporting Casablanca’s teams. “Local authorities is to allocate five thousands security men to secure the Derby and white protest march,” according to Al Massa.

Edited by Melissa Smyth