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On Saturday, January 17, a feminist activist from a collective staged a symbolic protest at the Grévin Museum in Paris, targeting the wax statue of King Mohammed VI of Morocco. The activist briefly dressed the statue in a jersey emblazoned with the message «FREE BETTY LACHGAR», aiming to spotlight the plight of a Moroccan activist imprisoned for blasphemy, as reported by AFP.
The demonstration, occurring at around 11 a.m. and lasting just a few minutes, was claimed by a member of the SCUM collective. A video shared with AFP captures the moment the statue was adorned with a jersey of the Moroccan national football team, coinciding with Morocco hosting the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday. The activist, donning the same jersey, also inscribed «FREE BETTY» on a wall and chanted slogans demanding the release of Ibtissame «Betty» Lachgar.
Following the act, the young woman was escorted out by museum security. «They took my details, and I expect a police summons,» she remarked. Yves Delhommeau, the general director of the Grévin Museum, noted that the situation was swiftly managed but expressed concern that the venue is being «increasingly used for activist purposes».
Betty Lachgar, a prominent figure in Moroccan feminism, was sentenced in September 2025 to 30 months in prison and fined approximately 5,000 euros for «offending the Islamic religion», a verdict upheld on appeal. Her prosecution followed the posting of a photo on social media deemed blasphemous. Currently in remission from cancer, her supporters claim she is being denied adequate medical care while in detention.
The SCUM collective stated that they aimed to leverage the media attention surrounding the Africa Cup of Nations to highlight what they perceive as human rights violations in Morocco.
