Rabat – Moroccans living in Scandinavian countries are planning a sit-in outside the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) on October 10, to protest against Sweden’s position on the so-called Western Sahara.
A report by Morocco’s daily Akhbar Al-Yaoum said the many Moroccans living in Nordic countries, including Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland are expected to participate in the sit-in.
Statistics say that there are approximately 20,000 Moroccans living in Sweden, 15,000 in Norway, and another 15,000 in Denmark.
Youssed Jebbari, a Moroccan activist based in Sweden, told the paper that the initiative was unanimously agreed to by relevant actors based in the Scandinavian countries.
“The mobilization of civil society is an important step for the defense of the territorial integrity of the Kingdom,” he added.
A separate report by Le360 said local authorities in Stockholm are still hesitating to authorize the sit-in. Meanwhile, the Moroccan outlet cited sources saying that the sit-in will take place on October 10, even without the authorization.
This move follows an earlier protest of over 40,000 Moroccans outside the Swedish embassy in Rabat to condemn the country’s position on the so-called Western Sahara issue and reaffirm their attachment to the Moroccan identity of the southern provinces.
Sweden’s Foreign Ministry confirmed to Swedish newswire TT that the demonstration took place, having previously issued a warning on its website advising Swedes to avoid the area around the embassy in the Moroccan capital.
“Yes, it was peaceful…Unfortunately we have no confirmed information on how many people participated in the protests,” Emma Karlsson, a spokesperson for the ministry, told TT.
