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[Regginator]

Hold on to your butts, because this might be a long read. And for those without the time:

TL;DR - Fish seller (accidentally? I doubt it) crushed to death after not paying for a bribe. Several, increasingly more intensive, riots erupt in Morocco against police corruption and corruption in general. First in the northern cities of Al Hoceima and Imzouren, but then quickly to neighbouring Rif cities like Nador, but also other cities around the country (Rabat, Fes, Casablanca, etc.) People think this might escalate if it isn't handled properly, with the situation being compared to Tunisia/Libya in 2011.
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So, the last two days shit is going down in my town of origin, and today these protests have also reached other big cities like Nador, Rabat and Casablanca. Basically, the core jest of these protests is anti-corruption. Moroccan police are riddled with corruption, and taking/offering bribes and other shady stuff have been more of a rule than an exception in "modern" times.

The main thing that triggered it this time is the death of a fishmonger named Mohsin Fikri. After not having the proper permits to sell fish, several small-time fishmongers (including Fikri) got their fish confiscated and then thrown away. Since selling these fish is literally the only source of income for many of them to support their wives and children, most of them tried getting the fish back. But for whatever reason, the crush-thingy of the garbage truck (that sure what it's called) got activated, and while most of the people could luckily get to safety in time, Fikri couldn't. You can find graphic pictures of this everywhere on (Moroccan) social media, but out of respect I don't want to post his picture here. Here's a drawing that should help with visualisation.

The reason? Well, according to rumours/unofficial stories (and if you know Morocco, you know it's true) several police officers were taking bribes by harassing small-time fishers, and by asking for a bribe (reportedly 500 MAD, which converts to around 50 USD) in order for them to turn the other way. But most of them didn't - or couldn't - pay.

Some live Facebook videos in different cities (primarily in Al Hoceima, Rif):

- https://www.facebook.com/Mlih.ma/videos/1132009630216633/ (Hoceima)
- https://www.facebook.com/Mlih.ma/videos/1132093340208262/ (Hoceima)
- https://www.facebook.com/Hespress/videos/10154474887666655/ (Imzouren, where he's buried now)
- https://www.facebook.com/najat.ben.568/videos/1783224105273559/ (Imzouren)
- https://www.facebook.com/Mlih.ma/videos/1132248310192765/ (Nador)
- https://www.facebook.com/RiftvOfficiel/videos/2013305195562628/ (Nador)
- https://www.facebook.com/karim.boulidam/videos/1175530419194993/ (Nador)
- https://www.facebook.com/RiftvOfficiel/videos/2013144535578694/ (Imzouren)
- https://www.facebook.com/100005119931452/videos/641624369351555/ (Casablanca)

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Anyway, it looks like international media are starting to pick this up. Here's an article about it by Reuters:

Protests erupt in Morocco after fishmonger crushed to death

Thousands of outraged Moroccans held protests in several cities on Sunday after a fishmonger in the northern town of Al-Hoceima was crushed to death inside a garbage truck as he tried to retrieve fish confiscated by police. The death on Friday prompted a frenzy of angry postings on social media against "Hogra", a Maghreb term referring to official abuse and injustice. Sunday's rallies were called by activists from the February 20 movement, which organized demonstrations during the Arab unrest of 2011.

In an effort to calm tensions, King Mohamed, currently on a tour of Africa, ordered the interior minister to visit the victim's family and present royal condolences. The interior and justice ministries also promised an investigation.

Such large-scale protests are rare in Morocco, where the king still holds ultimate sway. Morocco calmed Arab Spring-style protests in 2011 with reforms, spending and tougher security while leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya were swept from power. "I have never seen such a crowd in the last few years, since 2011 at least," said Houssin Lmrabet, an activist from the town of Imzouren where thousands took part in the funeral of the victim and protests that followed. "Everyone feels crushed by that garbage truck here."

Mouhcine Fikri had fish confiscated by police on Friday after he bought it at the port. Local authorities have banned swordfish sales in this season. According to local media and authorities, Fikri jumped inside the trash truck that police used to destroy the confiscated fish in a desperate attempt to recover it when he was caught inside the crusher.

Protests were held in Al-Hoceima and other towns in Rif region, long seen as a hotbed of dissent, and also in Casablanca and the capital Rabat, where hundreds gathered chanting "Mohcine was murdered, Makhzen is to blame" in a reference to the royal establishment and its allies.

Fikri's death has echoes of how Tunisia's uprising began in 2011, triggering similar revolts across the region after a young man set himself on fire in desperation because police confiscated fruit and vegetables he was selling. Activists accused police officers of ordering garbage men to crush Fikri, but the Moroccan police (DGSN) denied those accusations in a statement on Sunday.

Moroccan authorities heavily police protests, nervous over popular unrest since the 2011 protests. During those protests the king devolved some of his authority to an elected government in a constitutional reform. Governments in North Africa are wary of protests tapping into pent up frustrations among unemployed youth. Tunisia has seen rioting twice this year in its south over jobs and unions are warning over the government's new austerity plans.

(Editing by Patrick Markey and Raissa Kasolowsky)

 

[NastyBook]

R.I.P., Fikri. Man died trying to preserve his livelihood. Asshole police should try punching up.

 

[Random17]

Sounds like a similar catalyst to the Tunisian uprisings.

 

[Regginator]

Just saw an article about this on The Guardian as well. Slow but steady, it seems more and more international media are picking this up.

R.I.P., Fikri. Man died trying to preserve his livelihood. Asshole police should try punching up.

Sounds like a similar catalyst to the Tunisian uprisings.

Indeed, asshole corrupt police and other forms of oppression were the leading causes of the Tunisian Revolution, and this feels and looks eerily comparable. While I hope it doesn't come to that in my country, it's no news that the police there are known for their corruption.

 

[Regginator]

I expect not a lot of you are interested in this, but I feel like it's my duty to just put this story out there. So I'll just keep bumping it if I come across related news.

Here are some cities where protests erupted:

 

[thehypocrite]

I hope that the social movements produce positive changes.

 

[G.ZZZ]

I hope that the social movements produce positive changes.

I wouldn't expect it tbh. A lot of those protest against corruption just end up in more strict police states. Hope that won't be the case as yet another unstable state in northern africa would be a disaster.

 

[G.O.O.]

I follow this with interest since I'm in Morocco until Thursday. In Meknès now, going to Rabat tomorrow.

Not going to ask people about it though...

 

[Barrylocke]

I wouldn't expect it tbh. A lot of those protest against corruption just end up in more strict police states. Hope that won't be the case as yet another unstable state in northern africa would be a disaster.

It's sad that this is the short term result of this sort of thing. Is a history of protest and rebellion in a country being seen as a positive thing in the past needed for these protests to result in a long term change?

 

[siddx]

Very interesting, I haven't seen anything about this in the local news (I live in the gcc). I even searched on the local major English news website and there isn't a peep. I guess it makes sense, nations in this region get a little nervous about this kind of stuff.

 

[NEO0MJ]

Only $50? That's less than the price of a modern video game. Should have just paid it, it's not much.

Now more seriously, that's horrible. It's horrifying how common it is for institutions meant to protect to become official gangs.

 

[MisterMrMister]

Only $50? That's less than the price of a modern video game. Should have just paid it, it's not much.

Now more seriously, that's horrible. It's horrifying how common it is for institutions meant to protect to become official gangs.

Perhaps it isn't much to you but to the average Moroccan 500 Dirham is a lot of money. And keep in mind that this isn't just a one off thing. This is systemic. And if the only way for you to make a living is being threatened by police who keep forcing you to pay bribes. Well, its understandable that an entire nation can get riled up.

 

[White Wolf]

Only $50? That's less than the price of a modern video game. Should have just paid it, it's not much.

Now more seriously, that's horrible. It's horrifying how common it is for institutions meant to protect to become official gangs.

500 dirham for a fisherman that doesn't make more than 50ish dirhams a day to begin with?? that bribe was more than a week's worth of income probably

like it's been said here above, just because 50 bucks isn't a tremendous amount of money to us, doesn't mean an equivalent of 50 bucks is the same acrosa the globe

 

[Chairman Yang]

I hope that the social movements produce positive changes.

It probably won't. In the absence of an authoritarian, powerful state, the only groups that seem to seize power are different varieties of radical Islamists.

 

[Dr.Acula]

Just anecdotally I backpacked around Morocco for a month and a half several years ago, and everyone looks for kickbacks and bribes, even at train stations and post offices.

 

[NEO0MJ]

I was just making a (tasteless) joke with that line. But yeah, to a lot of people around the world $50 is a lot and can even be more than the average salary in some countries.

I thought the second part of my post made that clear?

 

[thehypocrite]

I wouldn't expect it tbh. A lot of those protest against corruption just end up in more strict police states. Hope that won't be the case as yet another unstable state in northern africa would be a disaster.

That wasn't the case in Brazil, which got a more independent judicial system as a result.

 

[nelsonroyale]

Thanks for the write up. Please keep us updated on what is happening, I really appreciate it.

RIP Fikri, you died because of authorotarian and beaurocratic pettiness and vindictiveness.

 

[Regginator]

11 people brought in for questioning, among them the two police officers that allegedly bribed the fishmongers, and maybe even gave orders to activate the garbage truck while people were still in it.

The state seem to be wanting to quell these protests as soon as possible, before it escalates even further. As the day of the incident, the state already promised a "quick investigation to determine what happened and punish those responsible".

Nevertheless, there are still protests being held across the country, primarily in Al Hoceima and its surroundings, almost four days straight.

Thanks for the write up. Please keep us updated on what is happening, I really appreciate it.

Thank you!

 

[Regginator]

It's been six months since I last posted about this, but since a week ago things are starting to pick up significantly more steam in the international media.


The leader of the protests, Nasser Zafzafi, has been a thorn in the flesh of the state for six months now. Like I mentioned, it started with the death of the fishmonger Mohsin Fikri, and his death became symbol to the widespread corruption problems that Morocco has, but in particular the northern Rif region. Zafzafi managed to draw huge numbers of people to demonstrate peacefully. As much as the state wanted to, they couldn't silence him.

Until last week, when Zafzafi was arrested after he interrupted an imam during a khotba (Friday sermon). The imam criticised the movement and accused them of causing civil unrest, in which Zafzafi pretty much exploded and accuses the imam of being somewhat of a puppet to the state, saying "is the mosque a place to worship God, or the state?" in addition to other rants.

You see, almost all imams in Morocco (to a certain extent) get told what to say during these sermons by the state. So it doesn't take an intellectual to know the state ordered the imam to discredit the protest movement. To what end? Most believe to propagate the people to stop demonstrating, but I personally believe they did it on purpose to piss off Zafzafi in the hope that he does something reckless. And unfortunately, the latter happened. He did something spontaneous and the state found a reason to arrest him, because it's illegal to interrupt religious activities.

He's been arrested for a few days, and the state probably thought taking out the leader would lessen the demonstration, but the intensity and frequency only increased. Not only in the North (Rif), but all around Morocco. Even outside of Morocco there are demonstrations of the Moroccan diaspora (Netherlands, France, Spain, Belgium, etc.)

Today, Amnesty International also issued an article about this and condemns the arrests. I've seen a lot of other international media cover this as well, so I hope these coverages serve as a warning. In the past, the state would just violently suppress the protests, but with some of the attention of the world on them now, I hope it doesn't come to that.