Police violence claim in dispute following clash
S
ecretary of state for foreign affairs Juan Pablo de la Iglesia said on Monday that the government has no proof that Moroccan police violently attacked the 14 Spaniards who took part in a peaceful protest in El Aujiun in Western Morocco on Saturday.
After photos of a woman activist with black eyes appeared in the national press, the government announced it intended to ask Morocco for an explanation.
The Moroccan government said that the protest, in support of independence for the Western Sahara, was illegal and unauthorised and that the Moroccan police had intervened to stop the Spanish protesters from being lynched by the local people who were angry with them for stirring up trouble. Spain's foreign ministry then asked the protesters, who claimed they were being held prisoners in El Aujiun, to “respect the laws in force”
The protesters were put on a ferry and arrived at the port of La Luz in the Canary Islands on Sunday, where they were met by some 50 supporters of independence for the Western Sahara.
They were examined by doctors who said their injuries consisted of bruising and scratches and were not life threatening. The activists have said they intend to sue the Moroccan authorities.
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