[VIDEO] Clashes erupt between police and protesters in Morocco

Clashes erupted on Friday between protesters and police forces in Taza, a city in northern Morocco. The situation has been really tense in Taza since the beginning of the week.

After clashes early January, violence erupted again on Wednesday afternoon between security forces and demonstrators, reported local media.

These clashes were triggered by the arrest of 4 young men, including a minor on Monday. The four are accused of having set on fire police vehicles and stolen telecommunication equipment belonging to the police.

According to Mohamed Chbairi, president of the Moroccan association of human rights, interviewed by local media, It is not just the arrest but the way the young men were arrested. According to him they were arrested illegally as they did not receive convocation by the police, or given access to legal consultation and their parents were not informed of their children’s temporary detention.

Marches and sit-ins were therefore organized in front of the police headquarters in Taza but also in front of the local prison and the court of appeal in order to pressure the police to reveal the location where the four young men were being detained.

Protests have continued on Wednesday as the situation was getting really tense. Clashes erupted between the police and the youths in El Koucha, a neighbourhood in Taza.

After two days, the four young men were finally released and are expected to appear in court on the 9th of February.