Stifled media reports emerge of a story barely heard about Morocco: Morocco's sleepy awakening could be about to get its caffeine fix with a portion of the Moroccans throwing in their lot with the revolution of their North African brothers and Levant rebels.
Barely audible sources, drowned out by the state news organ, are speaking of the rumblings of change awakening the Moroccan basin of North Africa.
A rude northern awakening?
Morocco's state news agency insists that the victims of the this fledgling revolution are predominantly on the state-side. They announced that anti-government riots have spread north of the North African country, resulting in grave injuries sustained by security forces, without comitting to any figures.
Other sources have leaked that at least four men were detained by heavy-handed police when security forces broke up a protest on March 8 in the village of Imzouren, at the foot of the Rif mountains, some 280 miles from the capital Rabat. While rich in anti-government sentiment, this region is poor in all other regards. Those involved are predomiantly from the impoverished Amazigh Berber community.
Protests had also sprouted earlier in the week in the nearby village of Ben Bouayache. These were galvanized by a March 2nd incident when security forces arrested a local leader of the February 20th pro-democracy movement. The state agency has reported at least 38 arrests since the demonstrations began.
Their revolutionary rally cry apparently derrives from long-stewing issues as poverty, unemployment and rampant corruption. The seeds of discontent were sewn long ago, with protests in the 1980s. This renewed campaign has been mounting since March 8. The Berber-heavy community accuses authorities of ignoring the basic needs of the people and abusing their power.
Morocco Spring?
The potential link to the Arab Spring stems from these pangs of social change that has seen people taking over the streets and public buildings, demanding a change to the conditions. The Feb 20 movement of 2011 has already indicated solidarity with this burgeoning North Moroccan Awakening - endowing it with unmistakable revolutionary flavor.
The security forces response has been to find scape-goats, as people are running for the mountains.
Why so secretive?
The media and state seem to be in collusion to under-report these incidents or block them out altogether. No main news wires are reporting on what could potentially transpire to be a proto-revolution for Morocco.
