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WORLD NEWS Thursday 7 June 2018

Moroccans rattle leaders with mass boycott over high prices

By AMIRA EL-MASAITI Khalfi threatened to use
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — a law against fake news
Buying yogurt in a small to punish boycotters, for
grocery store in Rabat, using the campaign as "a
Morocco, 24-year-old tool used to spread false
Chaima Lahsini has a news and damage the
request: "Nothing from reputation of the country."
Central Danone please," That only gave the boycott
she asks the clerk, who looks further momentum,
back mournfully at the with social media users,
unwanted dairy products politicians, artists and
piled in his fridge. national media coverage
Lahsini is taking part in a of the issue increasing
boycott movement that exponentially.
began by targeting the After a lengthy silence, the
biggest companies, largely head of the government
owned by a handful of finally promised to help
tycoons, and has morphed consumers and demanded
into a protest against the that the boycott end on
concentration of wealth June 1, saying it damages
and power in a country farmers and the local
that had been spared economy. Centrale
the tumult of the Arab Danone lowered the price
Spring eight years ago. of milk by 15 percent, but
The movement started on also said the boycott forced
social media and is now it to cut raw milk purchases
worrying the government, from local farmers and lay
and prompting some off workers
companies, like the local "The depth of the boycott
subsidiary of dairy giant puts in question the politics
Danone, to lower milk of money and power that
prices to calm consumer In this photo dated Tuesday, June 5, 2018, workers of French-owned Central Danone company rule the country," said
anger. "While I initially protest against a popular boycott campaign of their milk products, in Rabat, Morocco. economist Najib Akesbi.
thought that boycotting Associated Press "Until citizen and consumer
this company and two trust is retrieved, and
others was just some new company Centrale The government liberalized But local newspaper business is separated from
social trend, it proved to Danone. prices for fuel and other reports say both Afriquia power, it becomes evident
be more powerful than In a country where the goods in 2015, but "it gasoline and Centrale that this successful boycott
expected," said Lahsini. wealth of three Moroccan failed to monitor and set Danone lost more than 5 will continue."
"Seeing how the Moroccan billionaires is equivalent to up regulatory measures percent of their market The boycott marks a new
people grew to realize that that of 375,000 Moroccans, and give power to a shares since the movement kind of protest movement
as consumers they had according to 2018 Oxfam competition council that's began, according to local for Morocco. The country
the right to stand against report, a large base of supposed to combat anti- newspaper reports. The experienced a series of big
the yoke of monopolizing consumers joined the competitive practices (...) reports estimate Centrale protests over the past two
companies and the boycott movement. and big companies thrived Danone has lost up to years to demand social and
economic regime is truly "This campaign is the result on this," said El Kharati, 20 percent of revenues economic justice. The state,
impressive." of consumer frustration whose federation supports between April 20-30, however, used violence to
An anonymous Facebook toward products that the boycott. and Afriquia's losses are intimidate protesters and
page a month and a half reign over markets and Consumers taking part in estimated at between arrest them — a risk that
ago launched a call to fail to meet consumer the boycott are turning 25 to 45 percent of daily the boycotters don't face.
boycott Afriquia gas and expectations. With prices to small businesses or rival revenue. "Unlike anything Moroccans
oil distribution company, consistently rising at producers instead. The companies did not have experienced before,
belonging to the richest alarming rates and life Sidi Ali has blamed high respond to requests for boycotters know that their
man in Morocco, Aziz becoming ever more taxes for the high price tags, comment from The AP. involvement will not cost
Akhennouch; popular expensive, the people and told customers not to The impact of the boycott them anything," said Omar
mineral water Sidi Ali, need to let out their anticipate drops in prices. quickly caught the attention Balafrej, of the Federation
owned by chairwoman anger," Bouazza El Kharati, Afriquia's Akhannouch of the government. Finance of Democratic Left political
of the largest body of president of the Moroccan has insisted the boycott Minister Mohamed Boussaid movement. "This Internet-
enterprises in Morocco, Federation of consumer would not affect sales, and described boycotters as based activism does not
Meriem Bensaleh; and protection told The said the Internet cannot "morons." Government present any danger or
French-owned dairy Associated Press. change reality. spokesman Mustapha threat of arrest."q