The statues’ artist still remains unknown to the public.
Read also – After photos of fish statues in Mehdia, near Kenitra in west-central Morocco, went viral on social media, local authorities are demolishing the controversial sculptures.
The statue of two fish sparked mockery and outrage on social media as Moroccans shared the viral images with comments expressing embarrassment, amusement, confusion, and frustration.
“People in Kenitra and Mehdia told local authorities they want reforms in the city. And authorities bring them these statues,” one post reads.
“Pornographic fish. People in Kenitra asked for reforms, authorities [brought them this],” another quips.
“Reform and change,” one user stated sarcastically.
The statue, before its demolition, was located in a Mehdia roundabout. Because Moroccans often associate a popular beach in Mehdia with neighboring Kenitra, internet users erroneously framed the fish statues as a blunder of Kenitra’s local government.
City authorities quickly took to social media to disassociate Kenitra from the scandal.
“In response to the many complaints from citizens asking for the demolition of the sculpture representing two fish and located on one of the roundabouts in the town of Mehdia, we inform the public opinion of Kenitra, that the town of Kenitra has no relation with this subject, and that the sculpture in question is not located on its territory,” the City of Kenitra wrote on Facebook.
Mehdia residents, however, attributed the fish statues to the new president of the local municipal council. The town elected Abderrahim Bouras of the Istiqlal Party to the post in August 2019.
The online outrage at the offensive carvings proved influential, and local construction workers began demolishing the fish statues on Thursday. As netizens continue to deliver their final insults to the embarrassing display, the statues’ artist still remains unknown to the public.
