Why I Support the Movement?

By Jamal Elabiad

My plan for this summer holidays was to spend ten days or so in Nador, a northeastern Moroccan city. But I postponed that for several reasons. One is that I wanted to spend my whole summer vacation with the Feb. 20 movement. I attended roughly all its activities from protest marches to sit-ins. There are many reasons why I joined the movement’s protests and became one of its strong supporters. And I am quite sure that many Moroccans support it for almost the same reasons.

I support the Feb. 20 movement because it managed to survive despite all the rumors the Mekhzen spread against it, including its affiliation to the Polizario Front.

I support it because it decided not to resort to violence though many of its pro-reform demonstrations around Morocco have been violently dispersed, and one of its activists in the city of Safi was beaten to death by anti-riot police.

I support it because it managed to convince hundreds of Moroccans from different cities and villages to take to the streets almost every Sunday to call for real political reforms.

I support it because it let Moroccans know quite well which political parties are for change and which are against it.

I support it because it lies behind the release of a large number of political prisoners.

I support it because it forced king Mohamed IV to revise the constitution.

I support it because it has emboldened many Moroccan writers and journalists to transgress the red-lines.

I support it because it managed to bring together protesters from many ideological and political trends, including Islamists and leftists.

 I support it because it has so far chanted the slogans Moroccan protesters avoided chanting for decades in order not to be arrested.

 I support it because it has made Moroccans quite sure of the double standard of both France and the United States. They are for the revolution in Libya, but against it in Morocco.

I support it because it put pressure on the Moroccan government to meet the demands of a large number of employees, including employees of the ministry of education.

I support it because it helped Moroccans break down the barrier of fear.

In brief, I support the Feb. 20 movement simply because it has achieved in seven months what most Moroccan political parties and labor unions vainly tried to achieve since 1956, the year Morocco gained independence…!