Protests Erupt in Moroccan Border Town as Spain Crossing Remains Closed

A turbulent night in Fnideq. Riots and spontaneous gatherings took place in this border town with Ceuta, and also in Tetouan.

In Fnideq, barricades were set on fire by overheated populations who did not hesitate to throw stones at the gendarmes, accused of having violently dispersed the protest movement organized at the end of the afternoon on this Friday.

Long before the pandemic occurred, the population of Fnideq was living in very difficult socio-economic conditions, particularly due to the ban by Morocco on the smuggling of goods at the borders. The closure of the Ceuta and Melilla border posts, decided for health reasons, has exacerbated this situation.

In fact, the families who had been living in this economic circuit for decades around Ceuta and Fnideq (and from which M’diq, Martil, Tetouan or Tangier also benefited) no longer have any other means of subsistence. Many young people and even adults, originally from Fnideq, who have lost all hope in a better future, opt for illegal immigration at the risk of their lives. Cases of disappearance at sea are recorded at an alarming frequency.