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Jerada is currently experiencing its own Hirak. Tens of Thousands of people residing in the former mining town took the streets on Sunday, 24th of December, denouncing the death of two brothers, who lost their lives in an abandoned mine. About ten days ago, Jerada witnessed several demonstrations conducted to protest against water and electricity bills but the two brother’s death was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
This time, tension has risen, as reported by the humanitarian assistance present on site during the night of Saturday to Sunday. In fact, several people gathered around the city’s cemetery preventing local authorities from burying the two bodies.
«So far, the family refuses to bury their sons. They demand elucidating first and foremost the circumstances of their death», Said Manajami, an activist based in Jerada told Yabiladi.
«What happened is far from being an isolated case. Each year, two to three men die in silence under the same conditions. In the absence of other economic alternatives, young people who are often graduates are forced to dig mines, sometimes up to 100 meters deep, to extract coal and sell it to some people in Jerada who have marketing licenses for the product».
«Two to three people die each year silently in mines»
Numerous people participated to the demonstration held on Sunday. «The police did not intervene to disperse protesters. But military reinforcements were present on site and deployed throughout the city’s entries», said the same source.
For now, the inhabitants’ anger is «spontaneous, no political union has been involved yet. The inhabitants are only demanding development projects», said Manajami. In addition to that, a new march is expected to be held on Monday.
The city of Jerada was prosperous during the period between 1963 and July 2001. During this year, coal mines were definitely closed. Since then, the locals started extracting coal clandestinely and the authorities knew about that.
