Moroccan police violently dispersed a
pro-democracy protest on the outskirts of the national capital of
Rabat on May 15, injuring several people.
Members of the pro-democracy February
20 Movement attempted to hold a protest outside of a secret
government prison where members of the political opposition are
imprisoned and tortured. Police chased the demonstrators away before
they could begin, beating them with truncheons. Details on arrests
were not readily available. One of the founders of the February 20
Movement was beaten into a coma at a later protest in the area. The
government stated over the radio that the protest was prohibited, and
denied claims by protesters and human rights groups that it runs
secret detention facilities.
Thousands of people rallied for reforms
in Casablanca the next day.
“This is the latest in a series of
violent interventions by the security forces which shows that the
authorities no longer tolerate the group’s peaceful protest,”
said February 20 member Nizar Benmate.
