HIBAPRESS – Casablanca
The last two days witnessed events of chaos and rioting within the youth protests in some cities like El Kelaa, Inezgane, Biougra, Kenitra, and Sale, and others, where it was not limited to raising slogans or organizing marches, but rather developed in some cases to acts of rioting, including setting fire to cars and public and private property, and even reached the point of storming a Royal Gendarmerie center and attempting to steal weapons and ammunition, which forced elements of the public force to use firearms to repel the masked criminals.
The Moroccan law guarantees the right of citizens to express their opinions and peaceful demonstration, but in return criminalizes any deviation towards violence or infringement on the security of persons and property, where Article 581 of the Penal Code stipulates that anyone who deliberately sets fire to buildings, dwellings, real estate, or means of transport such as cars and trains is punished with imprisonment from ten years to twenty years, with the penalty being increased to life imprisonment or even the death penalty if the fire results in loss of life or serious injuries, according to Article 584.
The Public Prosecution has issued strict directives to deal firmly with anyone proven to be involved in acts of chaos during the protests, and it has been decided to empty a number of surveillance cameras to identify everyone who contributed to the acts of crime during the protest demonstrations and arrange the legal effects on them.
