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Live Hirak : Police units fire teargas at protesters

A number of «Hirak» activists and citizens are set to participate to a march scheduled a week ago on the 20th of July 2017. Banned by the local authorities, security forces and locals in the city of Al Hoceima are getting ready.

Ph :Youssef Dahmani, Yabiladi
Estimated read time: 7'

8: 57 pm The situation is provisionally calm in Al Hoceima’s city center

The situation is de-escalating at the moment in Al Hoceima as cars are allowed in Mohammed V Boulevard, as reported by Yabiladi’s correspondent. «The area near Mohammed VI square is quiet for the moment although other neighborhoods where protesters are in a constant clash with police».

8: 06 pm Protesters install protective barriers around the police

Demonstrators rallying in Al Hoceima have reportedly «built barriers blocking several streets and preventing the police from approaching», describes Yabiladi’s reporter.

7: 45 pm Police block access to Mohammed V Boulevard in Al Hoceima

Police forces in Al Hoceima currently have blocked access to Mohammed V Boulevard. According to Yabiladi’s reporter «the avenue leading to Mohammed VI square, where protesters are supposed to hold their march, was blocked», adding that «no car was able to make it through the boulevard».

Meanwhile, a police officer who tried to beat a protester was fought back by a number of other demonstrators.

7: 28 pm Mohammed VI square, a red line not to be crossed by demonstrators

Two hours after the emergence of the march, police forces in Al Hoceima are still surrounding Mohammed VI square making of the famous spot a red line that should not be crossed by demonstrators. Our reporter confirmed the information stating that «protesters who attempt to reach the square are prohibited entry and chased by the police».

He also indicated that the police forces are still trying to disperse the march «but not with same intensity», he indicated.

6: 47 pm The Sedraoui mosque enrcircled by the authorities

While several demonstrations are taking place simultaneously in Al Hoceima, several protesters have run seeking refuge in the Sedraoui mosque, located in Al Hoceima’s city center.

«The police have just given the demonstrators five minutes to leave the mosque before intervening. Citizens then succeeded in convincing the demonstrators to leave the mosque», reports Yabiladi’s on-site reporter.

He also indicated that MLAs have been rallying in the city with their cars while «honking horns and chanting Hirak slogans», he concluded.

6: 17 pm Protesters throw rocks at police after they fired teargas

Police forces have clashed with protesters at Al Hoceima’s city center. «As the police continued to fire teargas at protesters, they responded by throwing rocks», said our source.

He also reports that the public forces have still not managed to disperse the demonstrators.

At the same time, «the houses in the city center have been giving water and onions to the demonstrators especially those who have been exposed to teargas», continues our special envoy.

5: 50 pm More people join the march

The march banned by the local authorities is still on the go currently in Al Hoceima. «Local authorities’ attempts to disperse the demonstrators were met by failure. Hundreds of protesters are now marching to join other groups rallying in the city», said our reporter.

«I do not know about other parts of the city, but other people are joining the main group», he concluded.

5: 30 pm Police fires teargas to disperse the march

After using force to disperse the demonstrators, the police forces have fired teargas to prevent a group of protesters from joining the other one.

According to our reporter in Al Hoceima, «the police fired teargas at demonstrators when they were trying to enter a mosque located in the city center». «Several people are currently lying in front of the mosque», he said. Other marches are taking place in other neighborhoods of the city.  

5: 20 pm Police forces continue to disperse demonstrators 

Security forces are determined onThursday to ban the 20th of July march. «Groups of protesters, which are constantly expanding, were assaulted by the police and anti-riot units. The local authorities used force to stop the demonstration», our special envoy to Al Hoceima told us a few moments ago.

5 pm The march has started

Despite the restrictive security measures put forward by local authorities, the march scheduled for the 20th of July has just started, reports Yabiladi’s correspondent. Demonstrators gathered near Mohammed VI square, he added. Heading to the square, protesters are chanting «freedom, dignity, social justice».

«Demonstrators are marching in groups going through the main streets of the city. Meanwhile, policemen are dispersing the march using force», he pursued.

4: 53 pm Hamid Mahdaoui from Badil.info reportedly arrested in Al Hoceima

Hamil Mahdaoui, editor-in-chief of Badil.info, was arrested on Thursday at Abdelkrim El Khattabi Avenue in Al Hoceima, reports Badil.info.

The latter quotes a citizen who was with the journalist before he was arrested. «He was taken aboard a police car to the police station», the source added. Hamid Mahdaoui went to Al Hoceima to cover the march concludes the media.

4: 30 pm Houses and shops unlock their Wifi for visitors

To mitigate the impact of the slow Internet speed in several areas of Al Hoceima, homes and shops unlocked their wifi for visitors. «All wifi passwords will be removed in Al Hoceima. Wifi is available in all the districts of the city for free», reports on Twitter an inhabitant of the Rif's capital. The endeavor however does not include some areas of the city as our on-site reporter confirmed that wifi networks have no passwords.

4: 18 pm Local authorities arrest demonstrators

Local authorities have been arresting demonstrators, according to our reporter who is currently present at the scene. He witnessed the arrest of a few meters away from Mohammed VI square. «Three young men, one of them wearing the Rif’s flag as a neck scarf, have been arrested by the police for no reason», he said.

4: 35 pm Police units and citizens might clash

«The police suddenly started dispersing people standing or wandering next to Mohammed VI square by forcing them to move away», Yabiladi’s reporter indicated.

«The situation has forced shops and stores to close. Cafes next to the abovementioned square have asked customers to leave, which created a wave of anger. Taxi drivers were honking their car's horns today protesting against the security embargo», he said.

For him, this situation «might lead to a different scenario with policemen and citizens clash before the beginning of the march», our reporter stated.

3: 42 pm Al Hoceima’s residents hanging black flags on their houses’ roofs

Foreign reporters have visited the house of Nasser Zefzafi, lrader of the Hirak popular movement. «Zefzafi’s father assured us that his son is doing well overall although he has been feeling bad. He saw him yesterday at the Oukacha local prison in Casablanca. Moved by the number of visits he received and the presence of foreign media, Zefzafi’s father will participate to the march this afternoon», reports journalist Nadia Sweeny.

3: 23 pm «Police units surround all squares in Al Hoceima»

Only a few minutes before the start of the march, «all the public squares of Al Hoceima city are now surrounded by the police», our special correspondent declared.

«After surrounding Mohammed VI square, the police did the same thing for the Rif Square located a few hundred meters away. Police units encircled a number of other places where demonstrations took place in the past such as Sidi Abed square», he continues.

2: 19 pm Internet traffic is slowing down in Al Hoceima

Since early morning, several Internet users have reported on their social media platforms that the Internet speed is getting slower in Al Hoceima as the march scheduled today around 5 pm is approaching. «4G Internet is not working since this morning», says our on-site reporter.

On Twitter, the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH) has just reported that its Community Manager «has not been able to login its social media accounts because of the slow internet traffic».

2: 10 pm Abdessamad Elbouchttaoui, lawyer of the Hirak detainees : «Moroccans living abroad recently in Al Hoceima are participating to the march»

Abdessadak Elbouchattaoui, lawyer of the Hirak detainees, who is currently on-site indicated today that : «Moroccans living in Europe are massively present in Al Hoceima alongside other Moroccan citizens, foreign and local journalists».

1: 48 pm Police forces surrounding Mohammed VI square

Mohammed VI square is nearly «inaccessible» to citizens. «An important number of security forces have arrived to the square. It is clear that the march will be prohibited by the authorities and they will not hesitate to use force to disperse it».

1 : 30 pm A new demonstration by the Quemado beach  

A dozen of young Rifains were gathering around noon to protest at the Quemado beach in Al Hoceima, Yabiladi’s on-site reporter said. «They have raised Hirak slogans. However, police officers that were standing by the beach have contented themselves with watching the small manifestation without interfering», continues our reporter. The beach manifestation lasted for a few minutes when the young protesters finally decided to leave the area, he concluded.

1: 22 pm Local authorities prevent civilians from gathering in the city center

«Al Hoceima’s local authorities at noon prevented civilians from gathering at Mohammed VI square», announces Yabiladi’s reporter who is currently on-site. According to him «the number of policemen has obviously increased compared to the morning of the same day».

1: 10 pm Civilians are banned from entering the city

Several people reportedly announced that around noon local authorities have started to ban a number of citizens from entering Al Hoceima city. Internet users have published photos of themselves making their way into the northern town through the surrounding mountains to attend the march that is supposed to break off around 5 pm.

12: 46 am, demonstrators and security forces getting ready for the march

A few hours before the beginning of the march scheduled one week ago for the 20th of July in Al Hoceima, the Northeastern city looks calm and quiet. This was confirmed this morning by Yabiladi’s on-the-scene reporter who is currently at Mohammed VI square, home of all the previous «Hirak» marches.

«It is quiet and calm for the moment. A few shops are open this morning but others are still closed. The city is full of Moroccans from all over the country. You can easily notice that while walking down the streets», our reporter said.

Yabiladi’s on-the-scene reporter indicated that security forces are already present at the square to prevent the banned march. «A large number of security officers are there with their uniforms and cars», adding that «water cannons to disperse the march have been installed in the same square».

Authorities have also set up check points at the entry and exit of the city. «Barriers have been installed at every exit or entrance of the city,» reports our source.

For the record, local authorities have issued a communiqué on Monday banning activists and citizens from participating to the march. Reacting to that, «Hirak» activists confirmed that despite the ban they will gather today to protest against corruption and call for the release of the political detainees.

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