The High Commission for Former Resistance Fighters and Former Members of the Liberation Army convened in Casablanca on Tuesday to mark the 73rd anniversary of the December 7 and 8, 1952 uprising, sparked by the assassination of Tunisian trade union leader Farhat Hached. During the event, El Mustapha El Ktiri, the High Commissioner for Former Resistance Fighters and Former Members of the Liberation Army, emphasized the sacrifices made by Casablanca's residents in their struggle against colonial forces. He paid homage to the uprising that erupted following the assassination of Hached on December 5, 1952. El Ktiri noted that on that day, Casablanca, along with the entire nation, stood in unwavering solidarity with their Tunisian brethren, as evidenced by a widespread general strike. He recounted how the colonial army, bolstered by armed militias in its employ, brutally suppressed demonstrators outside the trade union headquarters, arresting hundreds of enraged workers and even disrupting funeral processions. El Ktiri highlighted that the occupiers' assassination of Hached, intended to quash the Maghreb liberation movement, had the opposite effect, bolstering the determination of the resistance fighters who boldly challenged colonial rule. The commemoration featured the unveiling of a pavilion named after Farhat Hached at the Historical Memory Space of Resistance and Liberation in Casablanca. The delegation also visited Chouhada Cemetery in Hay Mohammadi to honor those who sacrificed their lives for freedom, independence, and national unity. The program included tributes to former resistance fighters and members of the Liberation Army, along with the distribution of aid to beneficiaries. Across Morocco, no fewer than 106 commemorations took place, featuring conferences, presentations of publications, and guided tours.
