Small protests in Moroccan cities

Several thousands protesters gathered in the Moroccan capital today to demand that King Mohammed give up some of his powers and…

Several thousands protesters gathered in the Moroccan capital today to demand that King Mohammed give up some of his powers and clamp down on government corruption.

Some people in the crowd were waving Tunisian and Egyptian flags in recognition of the popular uprisings that overthrew the two countries' presidents.

A protest organiser said there were more than 5,000 participants while a police officer said there were fewer than 3,000 people at the protest in Rabat.  The official news agency, MAP, cited a “weak turnout” in other cities - including 2,000 in the northeastern city of Beni Bouayach, 1,000 in Casablanca, Al Hoceima and Targuist, and 900 in Marrakech.

Uniformed police kept their distance from the protest, which began in the central Bab El Ahad area, but plain-clothes officers with notebooks mingled with the crowd, amid chants of "The people reject a constitution made for slaves!" and "Down with autocracy!"

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Some called on Moroccan prime minister Abbas El Fassi to leave but placards and slogans made no direct attacks on the king.

Analysts say Morocco, with a widely respected reformist monarch and growing economy, is one of the Arab countries least likely to succumb to the wave of protests sweeping the region.

"This is a peaceful protest to push for constitutional reform, restore dignity and end graft and the plundering of public funds," said Mustapha Muchtati of the Baraka (Enough) group, which helped organise the march.

The protest was initiated by a group calling itself the February 20 Movement for Change, which has attracted 19,000 followers on Facebook.

The protesters were joined by the youth section of the banned Islamist Justice and Charity group, by members of opposition parties and Berber militants. The main press union and human rights groups also voiced support for the protest.

Morocco is officially a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. But the constitution empowers the king to dissolve the legislature, impose a state of emergency and have a key say in government appointments including the prime minister.

Officials say Morocco's commitment to reform has never been stronger than under King Mohammed. As a member of the Alaouite dynasty that has ruled Morocco for some 350 years and claims descent from the Prophet Mohammad, the king is considered sacred by the constitution.

Since the king came to the throne in 1999, the government has worked to repair the bleak legacy of human rights abuses, poverty and illiteracy left by the 38-year rule of his father, King Hassan II.

Officials have voiced concern that Algeria and the Polisario Front, which wants independence for the disputed territory of Western Sahara, may use upheavals sweeping the Arab world to stir unrest. Morocco annexed Western Sahara in 1975 when Spain ended its colonial rule of the territory.

Reuters