Thousands of Moroccans Protest Against Trump’s Gaza Plan and Israeli Minister’s Visit

Watan-Thousands of Moroccans took part in dozens of protests across the country on Friday, denouncing U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza and seize the territory, as well as the visit of Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev to Morocco. The protests against Trump’s plan for Gaza came in response to a call from pro-Palestinian and anti-normalization groups in Morocco to mobilize for a “Friday of Rage” nationwide.

In the Moroccan capital, Rabat, activists gathered in a protest outside Parliament on Friday evening, organized by the “National Action Group for Palestine.” Protesters condemned Trump’s plan and called for resistance against it. They also chanted slogans reaffirming support for the Palestinian cause, praising Palestinian resilience, and demanding an end to all forms of normalization with the occupying state.

Beyond the protest in front of Parliament, the “National Action Group for Palestine” organized demonstrations in several cities, including a protest at Marrakesh’s Jemaa el-Fnaa Square against the visit of Israeli Minister Miri Regev, who was attending the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, scheduled from February 18 to 20.

Meanwhile, the “Moroccan Commission for the Support of the Nation’s Causes” announced that Moroccans held 105 demonstrations across 56 cities on Friday as part of the “Friday of Rage” protests against Trump’s statements. Protesters described his remarks as “irresponsible and contradicting the Palestinian people’s right to establish a unified Palestinian state.”

Demonstrators, who took to the streets after Friday and Maghrib prayers, carried banners holding the international community and Arab leaders responsible for rejecting attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians in Gaza and annex parts of the West Bank. They also called on Moroccan authorities to end all forms of normalization and take a firm stance against the liquidation of the Palestinian cause and the displacement of its people.

While protesters reaffirmed their solidarity with the Palestinian people’s legitimate demands and called for the reconstruction of Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid, the “Moroccan Initiative for Support and Advocacy” organized events in several cities under the slogan “Palestine… All of Palestine Belongs to the Palestinians.” Similarly, the “Moroccan Front for Supporting Palestine and Opposing Normalization” held demonstrations against “forced displacement plans announced by Zionists with the support of the new U.S. president.”

On another note, Ahmed Wihman, head of the “Moroccan Observatory for Anti-Normalization” and a member of the “National Action Group for Palestine,” strongly condemned Trump’s recent statements calling for the displacement of over two million Palestinians from Gaza and turning the area into what he called the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Wihman described these remarks as a “flagrant violation of international law and human rights.” Speaking to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, he said, “These calls not only violate Palestinian rights but also expose the true intentions of the Zionist project in the region and mark a dangerous shift in U.S. policy toward the Palestinian cause.”

He further stated that these plans, which involve the forced displacement of Palestinians, constitute a war crime under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the collective or individual forcible transfer of protected persons from occupied territories. He urged all active forces in Morocco to join the protests “to reaffirm our firm and unwavering stance in support of the Palestinian cause and reject all forms of normalization with the criminal Zionist entity.” He added, “Together, we continue the struggle for Palestinian rights and work to raise collective awareness about the dangers of normalization and its negative impacts on our national and regional causes.”

Since the beginning of Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” on October 7, 2023, Morocco has witnessed widespread solidarity with the Palestinian people, with near-daily protests and marches across the country, focused on supporting Palestinians, backing the resistance, and rejecting normalization.