Protests continue in north Morocco after protest leader arrested

For the eighth consecutive night , several people protested in a provincial northern Moroccan town to demand the authorities release an activist ,Nasser Zefzafi ,arrested for leading months of demonstrations against official abuses and corruption.

Among the protesters, is the wife of an activist who was arrested.

“The message I want to pass to the whole world is that my husband was imprisoned in an atrocious way, he was kidnapped, he had a clear goal, it was to manifest in peace.” “My husband has not broken or destroyed something, we have manifested in peace, my husband is for me as a medal that I have received, we have no rights or justice in our state” , said Souad Ambarek.

Although the protesters have somewhat been displaced this Friday, the active participation of women was noted.

“All those arrested while manifesting for freedom and dignity, the State should be proud and not imprison them,” I mean to the Moroccan state that we are all in , we are all political prisoners, we are people of peace, despite repression and prison, we are people of peace, we will resist , we will continue until we achieve our goal and the release of all political detainees “, expressed Houda Jalloul.

The protest took place late on Friday in the town of Al-Hoceima where tensions have run high since activist Nasser Zefzafi was detained at the start of the week and charged with threatening national security, among other offences.

Authorities placed a heavy police presence around the town and the square, where protesters said they had prevented a larger crowd from forming. Hours early in nearby Imzouren, police fired water cannon to disperse hundreds of protesters who clashed with security forces, tossing rocks and rubble.