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The Justice and Development Party in Kenitra Raises the Red Card Against Art and Culture, Challenging the State’s Direction
A project to support an artistic festival in the city of Kenitra has turned into an open confrontation, as the Justice and Development Party launched a fierce campaign against its organization, utilizing its media and associative arms in an attempt to thwart it. This scene evokes memories of years of cultural repression during its management of the local council.
The city council held an extraordinary session on Wednesday, dedicated to approving partnerships with civil society organizations and providing financial support to some of them, primarily the Kenitra Festival Association, which will oversee a three-day artistic event. This session came after yesterday’s meeting failed to convene due to the withdrawal of the Justice and Development Party’s councilors, resulting in insufficient quorum and the postponement of the session. In today’s meeting, the party’s councilors protested against the support allocated to the festival, leading to the agenda item being postponed a second time. The session will reconvene tomorrow to continue discussing the agenda, including the item on festival support.
The party’s stance was not surprising. As soon as the festival was announced, it launched a counter-campaign accompanied by disparaging language and accusations, in an attempt to undermine the initiative. The party did not content itself with a political position but mobilized affiliated associations and pages connected to it, revealing a clear intention to obstruct any revival of cultural life in the city.
During its tenure in the Kenitra municipality, the Justice and Development Party plunged the city into a dark cultural void. Festivals were halted, cinemas were closed, and artistic initiatives faded away. The most symbolic loss was the assassination of the “Temousida” festival, which had been a source of pride for the city and attracted a large audience from within Morocco and beyond.
Today, after being rejected at the polls, the party is returning to the same battle against culture, as if it poses a threat that must be contained. Instead of playing a constructive opposition role, it chose to target any cultural initiative, a stance not unlike that of censorship and prohibition.
Many questions are raised by the local public: What is the Justice and Development Party afraid of regarding an artistic festival? Why does it insist on combating arts and culture at every opportunity? Why does it only thrive in the shadows?
While Kenitra aspires to regain its status as a city open to creativity, the party persists in keeping it within a circle of closure and stagnation. The outcome: a futile political battle waged at the expense of a population yearning for art, culture, and a space for life.
