In response to a call from the Spanish feminist organization La Fuerza de las Mujeres («The Strength of Women»), a demonstration will be held in Algeciras on Wednesday, August 27. Protesters plan to gather outside the Moroccan consulate to demand the release of Moroccan activist Ibtissame Lachgar, who has been detained in Rabat since August 10. Her arrest followed the circulation of a photo on social media in which she appeared wearing a T-shirt bearing phrases deemed blasphemous. The protest is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. on Vianueva Street, coinciding with a court session in Morocco that will determine whether Lachgar is released or faces a prison sentence of six months to ten years under Article 262 of the Penal Code. Lachgar, 50, is a co-founder of the Alternative Movement for Individual Liberties. She has long been a polarizing figure in Morocco, known for campaigns considered provocative, most notably organizing a «mass kiss» in 2013 to protest against restrictions on sexual diversity. The photo she shared earlier this month sparked widespread outrage among Moroccans, with many calling for her prosecution. Among them was former Justice Minister Mustafa Ramid, who described her action as a «premeditated act and a deliberate insult to the divine».
