Tangier Residents Defy Ramadan Curfew, Protest Mosque Closures

With the establishment of the health curfew as last year when Ramadan was celebrated in silence, several protest actions have been organized since the first evenings of this holy month in certain neighborhoods of Tangier. On the evening of April 14, ten people were arrested in the El Jirari neighborhood for performing the evening prayer in front of two closed mosques. Between April 15 and 16, it was the residents of the Bni Makada neighborhood who violated the curfew measure, gathering to perform the Tarawih prayers, in defiance of this decision which occurs for the second time during this health crisis.

The intervention of the security forces to dissuade them was in vain, leading to clashes. Individuals, including young people and adolescents, committed "acts of vandalism" mainly against the vehicles of the security forces.

However, religious reasons alone do not explain the behavior of some Tangerois. They also went down to cafes, which are nevertheless under restrictions. About forty people were arrested in two cafes that had illegally opened their doors. All those present (owners, employees, other customers) were arrested and taken into custody.