MOROCCO UNREST

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27425, 11 August 1954, Page 11

MOROCCO UNREST

Arab Rising Feared

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) RABAT (Morocco), Aug. 10. Dawn today ushered in most dangerous hours of moslem feast of Aid el Kebir which Moroccan Nationalists have threatened to turn into a" countrywide demonstration against the French. Two policemen and terrorists have already been killed since the rising of the moon last night signalled the beginning of the feast. A French police inspector was d ea th in the Arab quarter of Marrakesh by a terrorist, who was in turn shot dead by a Moroccan policeman.

In other incidents a Moroccan policeman was killed and robbed of. his rifle-, several millions of francs worth of cork were destroyed when a depot was set alight at Rabat, and a police jeep was fired on at Casablanca by a Moroccan, who ,was wounded by the police.

A near general strike today was expemt ed to P aral yse the country. . \be strike has already seriously affected hospitals, transport, shops and factories.

The demonstrations are against the exile of the pro-Nationalist Sultan, Sidi Mohammed Ben Yussef, last year. All available French Moroccan forces are out, to seal off the Arab quarters of towns and cities and to choke back any signs of violence before it can gain momentum.

The Arab town of Fez was cordoned by armed police and troops Armoured cars were patrolling the streets of Casablanca and foreign legionnaires and police have detained about 1000 Moroccans after a major screening operation at Port Lyautey, the scene of savage anti-French rioting, murders, and vandalism during the week-end.