Since the fall of the Egyptian regime, Moroccans have beenplanning a movement of their own. Taking place tomorrow, February 20, the “movement for dignity” encapsulates some Moroccans' frustration with a government that they believe has done little to combat corruption. The protesters are demanding constitutional reform, the dissolution of parliament, and the lowering of food prices, among other things.
In a video circulating the Web, several young Moroccans explain–in both Moroccan darija and local Amazigh dialects–why they'll be joining the protests:
The video has stirred controversy amongst some who see the protesters as shills for thePolisario, a rebel movement for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco.
On the MoroccoBoard News Service (part of the Moroccan-American Association), someone has posted photos that they claim prove the young people in the video are not Moroccan, and are attempting to topple the government. But as Moroccan-American journalist Laila Lalami points out in an article for The Nation, “…Nothing in the February 20 platform or its promotional video suggests that anyone is asking for the toppling of the monarchy; the focus, however, has been on meaningful constitutional reform.”
Global voices | 19 Feb 2011 - read full report
