Demonstrations in Moroccan cities protesting the living conditions and high prices

Dozens of people demonstrated Saturday in several Moroccan cities to protest against the poor living conditions and the rise in prices, calling for social justice and a reduction in prices.

On Saturday, dozens of people took part in separate vigils in different cities to protest against the rise in prices and to demand the restart of the country's only "La Samir" refinery, which has been suspended for years.

These stops came in response to the call of the "Moroccan Social Front" (non-governmental) and the National Union of Gas and Oil Industries of the Democratic Confederation of Labor (one of the largest trade unions).

Dozens demonstrated at a central stand in front of the headquarters of the "La Samir" refinery in the city of Muhammadiyah in the north of the country.

Other cities witnessed protests due to the high prices, such as Rabat, Fez, Taza, Salé and El Jadida in the north of Morocco and Oujda in the northeast.

The demonstrators chanted slogans calling for curbing the price hike, restarting and nationalizing the La Samir Refinery to ensure the kingdom's energy security.

And "La Samir" is the only oil refining company in Morocco, which has stopped working and has been in the process of judicial liquidation since 2016, after it failed to pay its debts and its financial situation became dysfunctional.

On Friday, the opposition "Progress and Socialism" party called for settling the status of the "La Samir" refinery.

This came in a written question directed by the party's parliamentary bloc in the House of Representatives (the first chamber of parliament) to the government.

There was no immediate response from the government regarding these demands, but the Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament and Civil Society, Mustafa Baitas, said at the end of last March that "Lasmir" was the subject of "judicial liquidation".

At the time, Bytas, who was also the government's spokesman, expressed the latter's readiness to interact in the event that decisions were made regarding the refinery.

Last February, the government announced its intention to provide direct support to some productive social sectors and consumer items to maintain the citizens' purchasing power.

Last March, the government decided to provide financial support ranging from $100 to $700 for workers in the transportation sector (one time) to mitigate the effects of high fuel prices.