Morocco : Racist attacks in Boukhalef, Tangier‏

beatingborders.wordpress.com/2014/08/31/racist-attacks-in-boukhalef/


The violence in Boukhalef, a quarter of Tangier in the North of Morocco, 
has reached a new dimension. Friday night, the 29th of August, a racist 
group armed with knives and bats attacked migrants and killed at least 
one person – a Senegalese – by cutting his throat with a knife, several 
others were badly injured and were brought to a hospital. Some of them 
are still in critical conditions. People talk about up to 3 more deaths 
which is not yet confirmed.
This is not the first time this summer that a larger group of Moroccans 
attacks migrants. In the night on the 20th of June an apartment of 
migrants was attacked after migrants were arguing with the landlord. 
Fire was set inside of the apartment and several people were injured 
after a fight. On the 15th of August, only two weeks ago, migrants and a 
spanish human rights activist were attacked when they were coming home 
from an African Festival in the city center. Women were harassed 
sexually. The police denied stopping the aggressors but let them 
continue and was even making threatening jokes towards the victims.
This Saturday after the killing, migrants gathered to do a demonstration 
and carry the body of the dead Senegalese into to citiy center to 
protest against this insupportable violence and to demand "liberty" and 
"human rights". But they were violentley stopped by the police. People 
reported police officers beating up migrants while Moroccans could 
attack migrants without being stopped by the police. Many people were 
injured and needed to be hospitalized (so far, we don’t have clear 
numbers).
In all three events aggressors could attack migrants, shouting racist 
slogans without the intervention of the police. Witnesses report that 
there were not only racist mobs acting but organized groups with 
leaders. Migrants talk about a raising racist and threatening climate in 
the quarter. They are afraid of leaving their homes. One migrant present 
at the events said: „It seems that they want to chase away all of us and 
at the same time the Moroccan goverment prevents us from leaving. We can 
not suffer this any longer. The world has to do something.“
Since Saturday evening the situation as calmed down a bit with a huge 
police presence everywhere in the streets.

No Border Morocco