Faqadtu qamoosi!

Sorry it's been a few days since my last post. Nothing much of note has happened. I bought a cheap camera and computer for the trip (only a few days left!) and I'm almost done getting prepared. Fortunately, Morocco uses European plugs and power standards (220V, 50Hz), so finding plugs for electronics is not difficult.

I received the following email from my study abroad office on May 23:
Morocco: Police forcibly disperse demonstrations in several cities; expect further pro-reform rallies
Several people on 22 May were injured when the police used batons to disperse unauthorised demonstrations by anti-government protesters, including members of the pro-reform 20 February Movement and some Islamists, in the capital Rabat (Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region) and the western city of Casablanca (Grand Casablanca region). Reports indicate that riot police forcefully dispersed the protesters in Rabat after they attempted to stage a sit-in outside the parliament building. In Casablanca, approximately 1,000 people participated in the demonstration, which took place in a low-income area of the city. The protesters were reportedly chased through the streets by the police, who scattered the crowd to prevent the demonstration. Smaller protests also occurred in the cities of Tangier (Tangier-Tétouan region) in the north and Agadir (Souss-Massa-Draâ region) in the south-west. Opposition activists claimed that several people were injured in Tangier in prolonged clashes with the police. An unknown number of protesters were also allegedly arrested in Rabat, Casablanca and Tangier.
Further demonstrations by the 20 February Movement and other pro-reform groups are likely in the coming weeks, with varying attendance levels. The apparently heavy-handed dispersal of the latest rallies may also prompt further protests. There is also a high risk of unrest incited by youths from low-income areas in the hours following such gatherings, especially in northern cities. Demonstrations to demand political and social reforms have taken place in recent weeks in Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Tangier, Fès (Fès-Boulemane region), Marrakech (Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz region), Imzouren (Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate region), Mohammédia (Grand Casablanca) and Khémisset (Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region). These cities are the most likely locations for future pro-reform demonstrations; the largest gatherings tend to take place in Rabat and Casablanca.
King Mohammed VI in March announced the formation of a committee to draft a constitutional reform plan, which will then be put to a referendum. He has claimed that the reforms will provide for an independent judiciary and greater roles for the legislature and political parties. The announcement was expected to reduce the risk of demonstrations gaining momentum; however, critics dismissed the significance of the promised reforms as significantly exaggerated and pointed out that the king himself appointed the committee members. The 20 February Movement and other groups have continued to hold regular rallies to press for the implementation of further steps towards democracy. While Morocco shares a number of socio-economic traits with neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt – where protest campaigns in late 2010 and early 2011 led to the ousting of those countries' long-serving presidents – such as the high youth unemployment rate, its political climate differs from these countries and an uprising is unlikely in the near term. However, demonstrations calling for political and constitutional reform should be expected to persist.

Moroccan Arabic Lesson of the Day:
I can't find my Moroccan Arabic book, so I have to postpone today's lesson. Insha'allah I will find the book and write a new lesson for tomorrow.