Price rise protests in northern Morocco

Demonstrations that began in mid-October against the rising cost of electricity have gained momentum in Tangier, where several thousand protesters gathered in the northern coastal city’s Place des Nations. Although Tangier mayor Bachir Abdellaoui has promised that bills issued since July will be “revised” and that there will be no more abrupt price rises, there seems little sign of protests ending. Some 1.5m bills issued since the summer need revision; meanwhile, default notices have been suspended. Protesters’ main chant is ‘Amendis dégage’ (Amendis out), a reference to the Veolia Environnement subsidiary that runs electricity, water and sewerage services in the Tangier-Tetouan area.