Media blackout in Taza, Morocco

The media blackout on the city of Taza in Morocco is absolutely deplorable. The only plus side is that it has pushed independent media sources in Morocco, such as Lakome to take matters into their own hands. In the above video, locals of Taza give chilling accounts of the past few days, where protests addressing economic grievances were met with the brutal oppression of police.

The son of the woman speaking at the 2:17 mark was killed in police custody.

The son of the woman speaking at the 3:10 mark was taken into police custody for over a week, with no official charges. She explains her living conditions as a single mother with other children and how her son currently in custody is the main provider of the household.

The woman speaking at the 7:10 mark explains how police threatened her and the other women in her household with rape.

The woman at the 8:38 mark shows injuries on her wrist after her house was raided by police.

The woman at the 9:45 mark is seen sitting with her foot wrapped after it was stepped on and beaten with a truncheon by police.

The woman at the 10:30 mark is shown holding pictures of her son who was kidnapped by police in front of his home at 12:30 at night, when there was no protest going on. When his mother marched with that same poster, she was publicly beaten and insulted by police. She says, “I told them kill me or take me to see my son.”

The Moroccan state media has refuted footage and images from Taza, in one instance, claiming the image of a boy from Taza is actually an image from Palestine, which was refuted by multiple online sources.

This post is just a loose translation of the above video and not intended to be an analysis of any sort. My only hope is that the struggle of the people of Taza does not go unheard and ignored. Whether you agree or disagree with their goals, just listen.