Rabat – Hundreds of Moroccans are staging protests in several cities across the country as they continue to oppose the government’s decision to introduce a mandatory vaccine pass.
Following politician Nabila Mounib’s trenchant criticism of the government’s decision to impose the vaccinal pass despite repeated assurance that the national vaccination campaign is optional, several cities in Morocco saw major protests on Sunday against the vaccine pass.
Rabat, Casablanca, Oujda, Marrakech, El Jadida and Agadir all saw a large number of protestors gather in defiance of the government’s measures to chant anti-vaccine passport slogans calling for “freedom, dignity and social justice.”
In Tangier, protestors crisscrossed the streets of Places des Nations, chanting slogans and denouncing the government’s decision to issue a mandatory vaccine pass to access public places.
With COVID-19 cases still being recorded in Morocco and the country’s restrictions on mass gatherings still ongoing, police intervened to ban further protests.
Several media outlets and social media users spoke of arrests among citizens during the protests. The exact number of arrests is not known.
The National Coordination of Moroccans opposing the compulsory vaccination pass confirmed several arrests among demonstrators, calling for their release and vowing to organize a march of solidarity on Monday, November 1.
On October 25, the Coordination called for the organization of peaceful protests in Casablanca, Fez, Agadir, Marrakech, Rabat, Tangier and Oujda at 4 p.m.
Prior to this weekend’s demonstrations, Owners and managers of Cafes, restaurants, and movie theaters also issued statements denouncing the vaccine mandate, notably saying that they will not check vaccination passes for customers.
When announcing its decision to implement the vaccine pass on October 18, the Moroccan government explained that the pass is intended to further contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The vaccine pass is now mandatory for Access to all enclosed spaces, including hotels, restaurants, cafes, shops, gyms and hammams.
It is also required for both domestic and international travel, as well as for access to public administrations and semi-public and private offices.
Despite the ongoing protests, the government has expressed its satisfaction with increasing vaccination numbers since the introduction of the vaccine pass.
Authorities continue to call on non-vaccinated citizens to receive their jabs as soon as possible, while urging those vaccinated for more than six months to take the “booster shot.”
