A mural painted by the ultras for the Wydad AC football club, in the old city of Casablanca (FADEL SENNA)In North Africa, where political speech is often harshly policed, football stadiums have long been an exception. Now, fans are using that small freedom to express solidarity for the Palestinians amid the Gaza war. "The Palestinian question unites everyone" in the region, said Abderrahim Bourkia, a Moroccan sociologist who has studied diehard "ultra" football fans. - 'Let loose' -Banners at stadiums across North Africa have denounced the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The ultras "want to show that they're doers and not merely a reckless group of football fans -- that they, too, have a viewpoint on society".

Source: The North Africa Journal May 09, 2024 11:34 UTC