RABAT: Moroccans are worried with less than one week until planned demonstrations aimed at King Mohamed VI. In Tunisia, Egypt and now Algeria, Yemen and Bahrain, the governments there did their best to curtail the dissemination of news, video and images from inside by cracking down on the Internet. Here in Rabat, many fear the same could happen to Morocco. “We are definitely worried about what is going to happen. It is the right thing to do, but if we get shut off from the outside world, who will help us?” asked Ibrahim, a 22-year university student in Rabat. He said that while demonstrations are key to any movements success, the Internet is just as vital, “it gives a look to the outside world of what is going on in the country and on the ground.” The worries come as mobile and Internet penetration in Morocco continues to rise dramatically, with nearly the entire country logging on at some point during a given week. Protests are part of the country's push to remove the monarchy from power after years of what opposition forces call “oppressive tactics” against people. “This includes the cracking down on what people say online, so it is not a surprise that they would be thinking of turning off our Internet,” added Ibrahim. On Wednesday, Moroccan public sector workers achieved an 80 percent participation rate, according to a La Rédaction report on Thursday. The strike was called for by the Civil Servants Union. Another 1,000 protesters took to the streets of Rabat on Thursday to demand more jobs and better opportunities, especially for young people. Khalid Naciry, Morocco's Communication Minister told the press that “the government was showing a lot of willingness in trying to solve the issue of unemployment.” Naciry added that the government takes the problem of unemployed graduates “very seriously” and is trying to provide solutions as rapidly as possible. On Thursday, Naciry affirmed the government's determination to address the social demands of workers, MAP reported. Even so, the parliament has little power as the King appoints the government, opposition activists argue. Any reform projects must be approved by the king. 15 percent of Moroccans live under poverty line, meaning they live roughly under a $1 a day. BM
