Ashoura Celebration in Marrakech: A Video Posted on the Internet Makes Authorities React

Authorities in Marrakech reacted to the video that has been widely posted on social networks. This video shows dozens of young people celebrating “Ashoura” in the Sidi Ayoub neighborhood, in the old medina of the ochre city.

Equipped with a few musical instruments, the “suspects” sang and danced, without thinking about the risk of contamination by Covid-19 which continues to claim many victims in Marrakech. The video has moreover provoked the anger of Internet users who called on the authorities to intervene to punish the offenders. They also expressed their astonishment following the clear failure to respect the preventive measures put in place to limit the spread of the virus.

Following this, the authorities in Guéliz have opened an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of this video that provoked the outrage. According to reliable sources, four people were arrested and taken into custody.

It should be noted that Marrakech is one of the cities where restrictive measures have been tightened because of the large number of cases of infection. It had been decided to close the accesses leading to 12 neighborhoods, to intensify the control of movements by public authorities at the entrances and exits of the city, and to close marginal accesses that prevent all travelers from being subject to the control of exceptional travel authorizations.

It was also decided to close cafés, restaurants and shops at 10 p.m. while ensuring compliance with the 50% capacity limit. It was also decided to monitor compliance with the 50% capacity limit for public transportation, to close pilot markets and souks at 5 p.m., and to close public areas, green spaces and parks with multiple accesses that are very busy in the evenings.

Traffic to and from Marrakech is subject to the obligation to obtain an exceptional authorization from the local authorities. Similarly, other restrictions decided during the state of health emergency (prohibition of gatherings, meetings, parties, wedding ceremonies, funerals) have been maintained.

The flexibility of these measures will depend on the evolution of the epidemiological situation and the decline in the number of contaminated people, as well as on the achievement of tangible results in controlling these outbreaks.

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