Morocco - Are the police too violent?
The intervention of the security forces to disperse demonstrations in some cities of Morocco aims to enforce the law, said Monday Interior Minister Mohand Laenser, Map reported.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Morocco-Are-the...
The Minister stressed that if stones were being thrown and roads blocked the police have no alternative but to apply the law. Whilst noting that many of those involved were wanted by the police or truantsfrom school the Minister saidthat police had been instructed not to use violence and that there was no intention to deceive.
The Wali of Marrakech, Mohamed Faouzi said in a press conference thatthe recent violence in the Sidi Youssef area during demonsrations regarding the high cost of electricity and water by the RADEEMA was explained that the situation turned violent because of unfounded rumours dissipated by individuals for reasons that were not clear. Sixty people were injured many of them policemen
A spokesman for the RADEEMA agency listed the measures taken to alleviate the burden on consumers, including rescheduling fee counters for 60 months and breakdowns of unpaid bills for 24 months.The spokesman appealed for the national electricty office,ONE , to lower its tarrif . Journalists at the meeting raised the problem of the accuracy of meter readings and that there were only 70 RADEEMA personnel to read the meters each month.There have beenmany demonstrations over the price of electricity and water and the RADEEMA has been the subject of complaints over its efficiency for many years.
The Wali concluded that Marrakech is serious socio-economic crisis, blaming it on a number of external factors including the tourism downturn and the euro crisis.
In another incident many complaints have been received regarding an alldeged assault by police on a PDJ memeber of parliament ,Abdesamad El Idrissi who had intervened during a demonstration to ask police officers to release a young unemployed graduate who had been assaulted and arrested by law enforcement officers.
An inquiry into the incident has been launched by the Ministry of interior following complaints by PDJ members of parliament.The Prime Minister Abdlilah Benkirane has been summoned to apologise to Parliament. The daily Akbar al Alayoum reported that King Mohamed VI phoned PrimeMinister Benkirane and expressed his discontent with the way the MP was treated and called for the enforcement of the law.This perhaps is a watershed moment on the issue of how police deal with demonstrations and the respect shown to members of parliament.
Police when subject to attack naturally react aggressively as they are trained to do.In the context of the Arab Spring violent demonstrations have spread disorder and a way has to be found to deescalate the violence whilst maintaining public order. Morocco is not alone in facing disorder caused by global economic hardship.
The Wali of Marrakech, Mohamed Faouzi said in a press conference thatthe recent violence in the Sidi Youssef area during demonsrations regarding the high cost of electricity and water by the RADEEMA was explained that the situation turned violent because of unfounded rumours dissipated by individuals for reasons that were not clear. Sixty people were injured many of them policemen
A spokesman for the RADEEMA agency listed the measures taken to alleviate the burden on consumers, including rescheduling fee counters for 60 months and breakdowns of unpaid bills for 24 months.The spokesman appealed for the national electricty office,ONE , to lower its tarrif . Journalists at the meeting raised the problem of the accuracy of meter readings and that there were only 70 RADEEMA personnel to read the meters each month.There have beenmany demonstrations over the price of electricity and water and the RADEEMA has been the subject of complaints over its efficiency for many years.
The Wali concluded that Marrakech is serious socio-economic crisis, blaming it on a number of external factors including the tourism downturn and the euro crisis.
In another incident many complaints have been received regarding an alldeged assault by police on a PDJ memeber of parliament ,Abdesamad El Idrissi who had intervened during a demonstration to ask police officers to release a young unemployed graduate who had been assaulted and arrested by law enforcement officers.
An inquiry into the incident has been launched by the Ministry of interior following complaints by PDJ members of parliament.The Prime Minister Abdlilah Benkirane has been summoned to apologise to Parliament. The daily Akbar al Alayoum reported that King Mohamed VI phoned PrimeMinister Benkirane and expressed his discontent with the way the MP was treated and called for the enforcement of the law.This perhaps is a watershed moment on the issue of how police deal with demonstrations and the respect shown to members of parliament.
Police when subject to attack naturally react aggressively as they are trained to do.In the context of the Arab Spring violent demonstrations have spread disorder and a way has to be found to deescalate the violence whilst maintaining public order. Morocco is not alone in facing disorder caused by global economic hardship.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Morocco-Are-the...