February 18th, 2011 by Alec

Facebook activists in Morocco, mostly young people in their 20s, are calling for protests across the country on Sunday to “demand constitutional reform and proper democracy.”  This comes after several self-immolation attempts by young Moroccans over the past few weeks, inspired by Muhammad Bouazizi, whose own self-immolation ignited the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia.  Osama el-Khlifi, one of the Facebook group creators for the protests, was careful to point out that the protests are not aimed at King Mohammed VI but the “power structure” around him of wealthy interests.  A government spokesman, Khalid Naciri, said that government was not concerned about potential protests: “It does not bother us that citizens express themselves freely, as long as this happens in full respect of our country’s immutable values and supreme and vital interests.”

Posted in Morocco, Protests |