More than 60 people gathered today in a demonstration in front of the Moroccan embassy in Oslo, Norway, calling for the respect of human rights in Western Sahara.
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The demonstration came spontaneously as a response to the attacks against Sahrawis in El Aaiun, Friday.
Among the ones arrested by Moroccan police Friday, were the mother and two sisters of the human rights activist Elkouria Amidane. Amidane is currently on a visit in Oslo to meet Norwegian students, and was the only Sahrawi who participated in the demonstration in Oslo.
Amidane, who is now the only person in her family not currently imprisoned, explained how police in the recent attacks had destroyed her entire house. Her family had earlier on Friday attended a demonstration in El Aaiun.
Parliamentarian Ms Trine Skei Grande of the Norwegian Liberal Party demanded that the Norwegian government adopts an ever stricter policy vis-à-vis Morocco, and informed that she has just this week has raised the issue in the Norwegian Parliament.
Speakers were also Mr. Håvard Grastveit, leader of the Center Party Youth in Oslo, and Ms Naomi Røkkum, board member of Liberal Youth Norway.
Mr. Ronny Hansen, chairman of the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara thanked the people who had showed up at the gathering on such a short notice.
After the meeting, Amidane, Grande, Grastveit, Røkkum and Hansen attended a meeting with the Moroccan ambassador to Norway, Mr Yahdih Bouchaab who explained that Western Sahara is not occupied by Morocco.
The Youtube clip can be downloaded in high resolution here (100MB).
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