Yabiladi | 25.11.2017

Sub-Saharan migrants and residents of «Derb El Kebir» neighborhood clashed on Friday night, near Ouled Ziane bus station in Casablanca. The police intervened immediately in the area where the migrants established a squat in a public garden. Details.

Sub-Saharan migrants near Ouled Zian station in Casablanca clashed on Friday night with local residents of «Derb El Kebir» neighborhood. A fire was set off in the area next to the garden controlled by the migrants.

According to local residents, met on scene by Yabiladi, clashes erupted when a young man was attacked by the migrants.

We Moroccans are not racist, we are not against these people. They do not know how to integrate. They are the ones looking for problems. This clash erupted because they assaulted a young man from our neighborhood. The latter brought his friends to defend him.

Angered and fed up with the situation in the area caused by the migrants who took over a public garden, the neighborhood’s inhabitants felt like they needed to defend themselves. «They colonized this part of the neighborhood, whether it’s the Ouled Ziane station or the surrounding neighborhoods.» Residents complained saying that women get assaulted on a daily basis.

According to a statement issued by the local authorities, «clashes with rock throwing occurred on Friday night in Casablanca, between young Moroccans and a group of Sub-Saharan migrants who occupied a public garden near Boulevard La Croix. The security forces rushed to intervene and restore peace all while dispersing the clashes that led to the set up of fire», said the same source.

The migrants have not chosen to settle down in Casablanca. They hoped to reach Europe via Ceuta or Melilla. Deported from northern Morocco, they declared a public garden their «home».

Migrants shouted «Racists! Racists». One of them said to Yabiladi : «It’s the Moroccans who attacked us, look where we sleep. It’s not to stay in Morocco, its is just temporary. We have come to pass, they just have to let us make our choice.»

The two communities living next to each others, surrendered to the consequences of hate speech and racism.