Morocco Slated to be Hit With Demonstrations on Feb. 20

As the tide of revolutionary fervor sweeps across Arab nations, Morocco is now lined up for demonstrations on February 20 in Rabat. The Democracy and Freedom movement is using Facebook and YouTube technology to call on the disaffected to meet Sunday to show their dissatisfaction with the present Moroccan government calling them corrupt, elitist and out of touch with the populace.

The government spokespersons are calm about the proposed demonstrations saying that they are a natural outgrowth of the civil unrest seen in neighbouring Arab speaking countries. King Mohammed VIKing Mohammed VI is currently quite popular, having enacted reforms since coming to power. Morocco enjoys close relations with the West and France.

"The rating agency Standard and Poors has said the country of nearly 32 million is the least likely in the region to be affected by widespread political unrest. And the Moroccan government says it is not worried about a protest scheduled for February 20"Morocco Channel

As an insurance move to head off serious unrest the Moroccan government has announced a boost to price subsidies to the tune of 1.4 billion euros. The money is to be spent to underwrite prices for staples which have seen a steep rise in the past few months.

Morocco must take seriously the separatist movement in the Western Sahara alled the Polisario movement which is seeking to redraw borders from 1975 when Spain granted independence. To date, the movement has been ruthlessly suppressed, but at a cost to the economy.

The economy is one of the underlying themes in the revolutions seen in Tunisia, Egypt and the unrest in Algeria, Libya, Yemen, Jordan, Bahrain and now the small country of Djibouti is seething with unrest. Since the economic crash in 2008, many countries have experienced elevated levels of unemployment. Coupled with higher unemployment, food prices have risen steeply forcing many below the subsistence levels.

The stark contrast between the rulers and the masses in many of the countries undergoing political convulsions has pushed many young people to risk their lives for a better way. Many are well educated and technologically savvy and have been able to organize via Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites.