Moroccans burn their passports in protest

Videos have emerged on social media of Moroccans in the diaspora destroying their Moroccan passports in what they said was an act of solidarity. This comes as protests in Morocco continue following the arrest of Nasser Zefzafi, the fugitive leader of a protest movement that has occupied the country’s northern Rif region for months.

The act has sparked controversy online as Moroccans took to social media networks to both condemn and support the act of defiance.

The Rif region has been the centre of Morocco’s protest movement for years but has taken on a new sense of urgency since the death of a fishmonger crushed in a rubbish truck in October as he protested against the seizure of swordfish caught out of season.