Tens of thousands of Moroccans have taken to the streets of Rabat to demonstrate in support of Palestinians and to oppose the country’s normalisation of relations with Israel, just a day before the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Protesters waved Palestinian flags and carried signs calling for an end to Morocco’s 2020 agreement to normalise ties with Israel, a deal made as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords. The crowd chanted slogans like “Resistance does not die” and “The people want an end to normalisation.”
For many, the protest was a way to stand against a flagrant injustice and genocide being committed against Palestinians.
Despite normalising relations with Israel, Morocco has called for the immediate, complete and permanent halt to the Israeli war on Gaza, though it has not indicated any plans to reverse its diplomatic stance.
The demonstration was organised by the National Action Group for Palestine, which includes leftist groups and the Islamist Justice and Development Party. It came on the eve of the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which left 1,205 people dead, according to Israeli officials.
In Gaza, Israel’s military response to the attack has resulted in the deaths of at least 41,870 people, primarily civilians, with many being women and children, according to health ministry reports from the territory.
Protesters also displayed the Lebanese flag and portraits of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.