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| Europe |
| Spain closes Melilla to Moroccans after protests |
| 2010-06-24 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] In a move that reminded the Arab world of the provocative visit former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon paid to al-Aqsa in East Jerusalem almost 10 years ago, the announcement of a visit by a Spanish top politician to the occupied Moroccan enclave of Melilla triggered massive protests that culminated with the closure of the "border." Dozens of Moroccans have been taking to the streets Monday to protest the visit of Mariano Rajoy, leader of the Spanish People's Party, to attend a regional conference in the Mediterranean city of Melilla, which is one of the only two European Union territories in Africa, the other one being the Strait of Gibraltar City of Ceuta, also occupied by Spain. Protesting youths put up banners the read "occupied" in Arabic, French, and Spanish before the name of Melilla on the road signs leading to the city. In response, the Spanish government closed the border that separates Moroccan territories and the disputed enclave. Similar banners appeared last April at the Moroccan customs house, located at the border with Melilla, and Rajoy called at the time for expelling all Moroccan custom officers, which explains why he is hated by border residents and sometimes compared to Sharon in the way he intentionally provokes local residents. After the closure, protestors gathered at the Beni Enzar crossing, the main access to the occupied city, to protest the visit and the years-long occupation as well as their humiliation at the hands of Spanish border officers. Residents of neighboring areas, mostly inhabited by Berbers, were equally infuriated at the closure and posted similar "occupied" banners on the Findeq road, a few kilometers from the border with Ceuta. The posting of the banners was reportedly organized by a popular committee that calls for the liberation of the two enclaves. Daniel Conesa, spokesman of the Melilla municipality, voiced his concern about the current situation and which might evolve to an uprising at the border, the Spanish daily El PaÃs reported Monday. Conesa pleaded with the Spanish government to resort to diplomacy with the Moroccan authorities in order to resolve the crisis and ban the demonstrations which, according to him, made closing the border inevitable. According to the Moroccan news website Nador 24, Spanish border officers intentionally humiliated Moroccan nationals who wanted to cross to Melilla by stamping "denied entry" on their passports. "They also tampered with some of the passports whether by tearing or smearing," the website reported. Melilla was occupied by Spain after the fall of Granada more than 500 years ago and has enjoyed autonomous rule since 1995. The city is surrounded by a six-meter high electronic fence with cameras and watch towers to stop illegal immigration. Ceuta, on the other hand, was occupied 350 years ago. The government of Morocco has repeatedly called upon Spain to end its occupation of the two cities. The Spanish occupation of Melilla is the longest in history. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 Time to organize a flotilla. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-06-24 16:11 |
| #3 Protesting youths put up banners the read "occupied" in Arabic, French, and Spanish before the name of Melilla on |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-06-24 08:40 |
| #2 Then there is the multi-millenial occupation of the island continent of Australia by aborigines who mercilessly oppressed & sometimes even ate the native population of marsupials. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-06-24 01:03 |
| #1 The Spanish occupation of Melilla is the longest in history. No, I think the Arab-Muslim occupation of North Africa has been going on far longer than that. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-06-24 01:01 |