HIBAPRESS – Casablanca
After waiting for more than 11 years, the residents of Casablanca were optimistic with the opening of the "Ain Sebaa" zoo, but this joy was not complete for the category of people with special needs and their families, who found themselves facing an unexpected "financial barrier"; an entry fee they considered "exclusionary" and not taking into account their social and financial conditions.
The surroundings of the park witnessed a massive protest on Saturday, January 17th, organized by associations and families of people with disabilities, denouncing the imposition of an entry ticket worth 30 dirhams for this group. The protesters raised slogans demanding absolute free access for the disabled and their companions, stressing that this park is a "public facility" built with state funds, and the vulnerable groups have the right to access it without financial restrictions. In a statement to the "HIBAPRESS" website, one of the protesters confirmed: "We are not asking for charity, but rather demanding our right. How can a citizen suffering from a disability and not having a monthly income or a grant from the state pay 30 dirhams? And if he attends with his family, the cost may exceed 200 dirhams, and this is an impossible amount for simple families." The "HIBAPRESS" website's camera also monitored painful human cases of mothers who came from different areas hoping to bring joy to their children's hearts. One of the mothers, who was feeding her disabled daughter in front of the park's door, said with a broken heart: "We waited 11 years to see this space, and today we are surprised that poverty and disability prevent us from entering. We barely provide the price of medicine and medical supplies, so how can we pay the ticket price?" The anger was not limited to the price only, but extended to include the "City Council" and elected officials of the Ain Sebaa area, where the protesters accused them of being absent from the scene and not defending the rights of the residents. The protesters directed a direct appeal to the "Casablanca Events" company (responsible for management) to immediately review the pricing system, reminding of the high royal directives that place people with special needs at the heart of national priorities.
