TENS of thousands of Moroccans have taken to the streets to protest against Israel’s punishing assault on Gaza and its people, also directing their anger at the United States and its support for the 18-month-long war.
In one of the country’s largest demonstrations in months, protesters filled areas of the capital Rabat on Sunday, trampling on Israeli flags, holding banners of assassinated Hamas leaders, and waving posters combining displaced Palestinians with US President Donald Trump.
Organisers denounced Israel’s military campaign, which has killed more than 1,000 Palestinians, and displaced hundreds of thousands again, since it shattered a ceasefire with intensive air and ground attacks last month.
Since the war began, more than 50,700 Palestinians have been killed and more than 115,300 have been wounded.
The Morocco protests echoed similar demonstrations across the Middle East and North Africa, where pro-Palestinian rallies took place in Tunisia, Yemen, and Morocco’s economic hub, Casablanca.
Fury with Washington has been at the fore, particularly over Trump’s proposal to forcibly relocate Palestinians to make way for the redevelopment of Gaza. Arab nations have decried the plan, and rights groups have called it ethnic cleansing. Protesters also condemned US crackdowns on pro-Palestinian activism on university campuses.
Many Moroccans view Trump’s stance as a continuation of policies under his predecessor, former US President Joe Biden.
“[Trump] has made the war worse,” said Mohammed Toussi, who travelled from Casablanca with his family to join the protest, speaking to the Associated Press news agency.
“Biden hid some things, but Trump has shown it all,” he added, arguing that their policies differ in tone but not in substance.
Abdelhak El Arabi, an adviser to Morocco’s former conservative prime minister, said public outrage had only grown as the war dragged on.
“It’s not a war — Gaza is being wiped off the map,” said the 62-year-old resident of Tamesna, speaking to AP.
A broad coalition of groups joined the protests. While Moroccan authorities tolerate most demonstrations, they have arrested activists accused of targeting foreign embassies or linking their criticism to the monarchy.
Many demonstrators remain angered by Morocco’s 2020 decision to normalise ties with Israel, a move that sparked controversy at the time and continues to fuel discontent.
Morocco signed the Abraham Accords, a foreign policy push from the first Trump administration, that saw the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Sudan normalise relations with Israel in return for various diplomatic and financial agreements.
Nevertheless, public feeling towards Israel has rarely been conciliatory in Morocco, as in many Arab states.