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Morocco's protest

Sunday, 31 December 2017 5:54 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 31 December 2017 5:54 PM ]

Moroccans shout slogans and wave their national flag as they participate in a demonstration after the funeral of two brothers who died while digging in an abandoned coal mine in the northeastern city of Jerada, 60 kilometres southwest of Oujda, on December 27, 2017. (AFP)

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Morocco's protest

Moroccans in the country’s neglected northeastern city of Jerada have been simmering with rage since last week when two brothers were killed in a mine collapse accident. The protesters in the city which is hugely reliant on its mining industry have been calling for better working and living conditions. The demonstrators vented their anger at the government’s economic policy that they say leaves Jerada residents no choice but to often work under life-threatening conditions. Decades of mining in harsh conditions have taken their toll on people's health in the impoverished city which has a population of around 45,000. Silicosis which is a lung disease caused by inhaling fine coal dust, is now common in Jerada. With only one specialized medical center in the city, many miners die due to the lack of adequate medical care.

Greater Jerusalem" or "greater Israel"?

Three weeks after the US President Donald Trump’s controversial decision over Jerusalem al-Quds, the Israeli regime is now talking about a new settlement construction plan to build 300,000 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds. The plan is part of the so-called "Greater Jerusalem Bill", which aims at annexing illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank to the Israeli-defined boundaries of the city. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has blamed the plan as a "direct result" of Trump's move. It said, "The ministry affirms that this Israeli colonial arrogance would not have happened without US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital."

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