Moroccan authorities have announced the ban on a demonstration scheduled for Sunday in Casablanca against the high cost of living, "
restrictions on freedoms
" and normalization with Israel, organizers said in a statement on Friday (May 27th).
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"
The local authorities notified us of the ban on the national demonstration, citing the maintenance of public order
", underlined the coordination of the Moroccan Social Front, made up of left-wing parties and trade unions.
This decision is also motivated by "
non-compliance with legal requirements related to marches and public demonstrations
", reported the local press, citing the prefecture of Casablanca, the economic capital of the kingdom.
The Social Front denounced this ban which "
shows that the systematic response (of the authorities) is repression and restrictions on rights and freedoms
".
This organization has in the past organized similar demonstrations in Casablanca and other cities, without being banned.
Despite the ban, organizers are calling for a sit-in protest on Sunday in Casablanca.
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On the other hand, the national march has been postponed to a later date.
Morocco is facing soaring fuel and food prices, due to a historic drought and the war in Ukraine, launched by Moscow on February 24.
The inflation rate in Morocco reached 4.1% at the end of April and growth should oscillate between 1.5% and 1.7% in 2022, according to the government.
