Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Thousands of Moroccans take to the streets, despite the announcement of reforms

.- Thousands of Moroccans took to the streets in dozens of cities to demand a new constitution and democratic change, despite the recent announcement of King Mohammed VI of constitutional reforms. The protests, called by the youth of the Movement February 20, were most up in Casablanca, Morocco's economic capital, with more than 15 000 people, according to Efe found, although organizers raised that figure to 60 000.

The demonstration, which started at 10:00 local time and GMT of Victory Square and toured the neighborhood of Derb Omar, was characterized by a high degree of organization and protest environment. Participants were divided into groups of hundreds of people marched peacefully, while throwing slogans such as "Listen to the voice of citizens." One of these, Said Benhamani, leftist Democratic Path Party, told Efe that the announcements of Mohamed VI in his speech on March 9 "does not respond to what society demands." The king addressed the nation from Morocco to announce a major overhaul of the Constitution which includes the upgrading of the prime minister as "president of an executive of cash," expand the powers of Parliament and reform the judicial system.

"Demonstrations will continue until that the people get what they want, that is, a parliamentary monarchy, "said Benhamani. While in Rabat, about five thousand people marched in a festive main thoroughfare of the city, Avenue Mohamed V, to ask the king to go further in their reforms and to "move from words to deeds", as stated Efe Kuarti Yunes, unemployed.

"We have decades of listening to speeches, it's time to take action," said Kuarti, who claimed that the monarch "reigns but does not rule." As in Casablanca, police presence in the capital was barely perceptible and focused on civilian and police vans in the streets. In the north, more than five thousand people (20 thousand according to the organizers) rallied from 13:30 local time and GMT in the district of Beni Mecca of Tangier, one of the most humble of this city, as was Efe finding on the ground, while about two thousand people demonstrated in Tetouan, witnesses said.

Al Hoceima, also in the north, a thousand 300 people called for "an end to corruption" and to open an investigation into the deaths of five young people in that city in protests last month, said Mohamed Zayani, the committee support the Movement February 20. February 20 Movement, which convened on that date the first march in support of democratic reforms, decided to keep the protests scheduled for today, despite the real address, and announced that they intend to continue the demonstrations.

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