A movement of solidarity with medical students was formed following the events that occurred during the last sit-ins organized in Rabat and Casablanca last week. The National Union of Medical Students has in this context expressed its firm opposition to the arrests which took place during the “peaceful” student demonstrators. According to the organization, the repression suffered and the use of force to stifle “their legitimate demands” are unacceptable. She asks the authorities to stop these “repressive” measures and to immediately begin an open and constructive dialogue with students to avoid an escalation of tensions.
The engineering students, for their part, showed their solidarity by condemning the events that occurred during the latest demonstrations by medical students. They thus affirm their full support for the demands of their counterparts and announce their participation in future protest actions, under the aegis of the National Commission of Students in Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry of Morocco (CNEMEP).
The engineers point the finger at the responsibility of the government, which they accuse of having adopted an “irresponsible” approach to the demands of medical students. They call for prioritizing the national interest and “adopting a serious attitude in the ongoing discussions and mediations to find a solution to this crisis which has persisted for more than nine months.”
As a reminder, the King’s Prosecutor at the Rabat Court of First Instance announced last Friday the indictment of 28 medical students, interns and residents, all placed under judicial supervision. They are being prosecuted for “charges related to participation in unauthorized demonstrations and resistance to law enforcement.” The first hearing in their trial is scheduled for Wednesday, October 23.
CNEMEP sources confirmed that the charges against these students include insubordination and organizing unauthorized gatherings. This trial constitutes a new episode in a crisis which continues to intensify.
At the same time, sources close to the faculties of medicine and pharmacy revealed that the Mediator of the Kingdom summoned, last Sunday, representatives of the national commission of medical students for a meeting. The objective is to once again explore avenues for resolving disputes between students and the authorities, as part of mediation aimed at breaking this impasse which is holding the future of some 24,000 students hostage.
Related News :