The Moroccan Michael El Bajawi arrived from the city of Kenitra – on his bicycle – to the capital Rabat to participate in the popular solidarity march with Palestine, organized by the Moroccan Front for Supporting Palestine and the National Action Group for Palestine.
El Bajawi carries the Palestinian flag in one hand and holds his bicycle in the other, which he says has been his companion in life for 35 years. For him, participating in the popular marches is a “religious duty” to support the Palestinians.
He tells Al Jazeera Net that what is happening in Palestine has contributed to raising awareness among Muslims around the world, adding that “our brothers in Gaza, men, women, and children, are giving the world lessons in resistance, patience, faith, and steadfastness.”
He continues, “They have taught us many things, they taught us the meaning of sacrifice, love of the land, Jerusalem, and Islam.”
National Issue
From the city of Meknes, Mustafa Bardan came with his friends to make his voice heard in the capital of the kingdom, wearing a traditional Sufi robe and wrapping himself in the Palestinian flag. He tells Al Jazeera Net, “This is an opportunity not to be missed to express support for our brothers in Gaza and to declare loudly and collectively our rejection of normalization with Israel.”
He adds, “The Palestinian issue is our national cause and the cause of the entire nation, and we cannot remain silent about what our brothers in Gaza are suffering, and what the Palestinians have been subjected to for decades of displacement, killing, and starvation.”
He further states, “The Palestinians have endured despite the alliance of all these oppressive forces, including the Zionists and their allies the Americans and Europeans, and our duty is to offer whatever forms of support we can.” Mustafa believes that “the effort to travel is insignificant to participate in solidarity marches with Palestine.”
He is keen – as he tells Al Jazeera Net – not to miss the solidarity events organized in his city of Meknes, which is about 150 kilometers away from Rabat, and to support civil associations that work on raising awareness among youth about the Palestinian issue and resistance.
From the city of Tangier, the bride of northern Morocco, the young Yahya Benallouche and his friend Mohammed Ryan Benalal responded to the organizers’ call for the Rabat march by covering a distance of over 250 kilometers.
Benalallouch (16 years old) wraps himself in the Palestinian flag and hides his face in the manner of the fighters of the Al-Qassam Brigades, saying to Al Jazeera Net that he resembles the dress of the Al-Qassam fighters who have shown the world their determination to liberate their land despite the siege and occupation.
He adds, “We participate in the marches to show our support for them and to raise our voices in rejecting the genocide that our brothers in Gaza are subjected to.”
Palestinian Symbols
This is not the first time that Benallouch has traveled from Tangier to Rabat to participate in solidarity marches; he has previously participated in previous marches. As for his friend Benalal – who is in his first year of high school – he tells Al Jazeera Net, “This is the least effort we make to declare solidarity with Palestine and support the resistance.”
He adds, “I follow on social media what is happening in Gaza, I feel frustration and sadness when I see the people of Gaza being killed and destroyed without any guilt, especially the children, but I feel joy when I see the resistance operations that attack the Zionists and destroy their vehicles.”
As for Nadia, a native of the city of Meknes, she woke up at four in the morning on Sunday with her friends to travel to Rabat. She holds handmade works of embroidery and bracelets in the colors of the Palestinian flag, with Gaza written on them.
She tells Al Jazeera Net that she embroiders Palestinian symbols in paintings and makes bracelets with Palestinian colors to spread among people, affirming, “We support Palestine through prayers, boycotts, marches, as well as by spreading Palestinian symbols and making them part of our lives and creative works.”
The young man Mohamed Ozar covered a distance of 500 kilometers – separating his hometown of Oulad Tayma from Rabat – with his friends to participate in the popular march. He explains to Al Jazeera Net, “We decided to attend Rabat to express our support for our brothers in Palestine who are experiencing a genocide war.”
He adds, “The fact that Moroccans from all cities come to participate in the march means that we are united in supporting the Palestinian cause and rejecting normalization with the entity that is exterminating our brothers.”
Mohamed, a youth active in his city in civil work, as he tells Al Jazeera Net, “is active in spreading awareness among families, friends, and the community about the Palestinian issue.”
Popular Solidarity Movement
The march in the capital Rabat witnessed the presence of thousands from various Moroccan cities, carrying Palestinian and Moroccan flags, wearing keffiyehs, and holding banners demanding “an end to normalization and accountability of Israel for its crimes against civilians.”
Among the slogans raised by the demonstrators were “Morocco, my free land, no to normalization” and “the Palestinian people will march towards victory and liberation” and “Abu Ubaida, beloved, destroy Tel Aviv,” and “despite the bombing and siege, Gaza remains free and will not collapse” and “popular condemnation of Zionist massacres and Arab positions.”
This was the fourth national popular march witnessed by the kingdom since the start of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle, and last Friday saw the organization of about 100 protests in 54 cities as part of the popular solidarity movement with the people of Gaza that began since October 7th last year.
According to data from the Moroccan Authority for Supporting the Issues of the Nation, the number of protests held in the kingdom until January 14th last year reached 1,850 protests supporting Gaza and rejecting normalization in various Moroccan cities during the “Al-Aqsa Flood” Friday every week, in addition to other activities organized by the authority.
These events included creative solidarity forms such as car and bus convoys, expressive theatrical scenes, as well as awareness-raising seminars and lectures about the Palestinian issue.
