Rabat- Blind men protesting at the Ministry of Family’s headquarters in Rabat are blaming Bassima Hakkaoui for their friend’s fall to his death.
Rabat- Blind men protesting at the Ministry of Family’s headquarters in Rabat are blaming Bassima Hakkaoui for their friend’s fall to his death.
Following the death of a protester named Saber El Haloui, who fell off the ministry’s rooftop from a sit-in on Sunday, the group of blind protesters initially calling for jobs are experiencing more pain and frustration.
The protesters began a sit-in on the ministry’s rooftop September 26.
‘No one considered us’
In a statement to Moroccan news outlet Alyaoum24, one of the protesters agitatedly condemned the treatment he and his fellow protesters have received from Minister of Family and Solidarity Hakkaoui throughout their protest.
The man stated: “My brother Saber died because of the neglect of the government. No one cared; no one considered us.”
He alleged that Hakkoui told the protesters: “‘You do not scare me; your protests are random,’ and ‘I am a woman of iron.’ It’s about time that this woman gets penalized and bears responsibility for her arrogance. ”
The man and other protesters held Hakkaoui responsible for El Haloui’s death, rejecting her Facebook post in which she expressed condolences. She wrote: “We wish to express our deep sorrow at this painful incident.”
Following her post on Sunday, Hakkaoui received sharp criticism and angry reactions from commenters on social media.
El Haloui fell off the rear side of the building, near the ambulance which the ministry had provided throughout the sit-in. The man died in the ambulance on the way to Ibn Sina Hospital, explained the minister.
The public prosecutor has opened an investigation into the protester’s death.
Dozens of blind protesters are currently holding the open sit-in on the ministry’s rooftop and in front of its doors, this time not only calling for fair opportunities but also for the government to bring justice to the “martyred” Saber El Haloui.
Read Also: Blind Protester Falls off Moroccan Ministry Rooftop and Dies
A protest against lies and false promises
In the early morning of September 26, the group of blind people broke into the headquarters of the ministry and climbed to the rooftop of the building, beginning a sit-in. The National Coordination for the Disabled, Unemployed Degree-Holders allegedly organized the break-in.
The blind men, calling to be given jobs, carried signs and chanted slogans decrying the “injustice,” “lies,” and “false promises” of Hakkaoui, who had said that their requests were being processed.
The protesters were carrying bottles of fuel and even threatened to burn themselves alive if their calls to be employed and for “dignity” and “better living conditions” were to be ignored again.
