Today a bomb - possibly due to a terrorist attack - exploded in the Cafe Argana on Djemaa-el-Fna Square in Marrakesh. As the New York Times explained, at least eleven foreign tourists were killed. (And three Moroccan citizens, but apparently those don't count to the Times).
Whatever the causes, Djemaa-el-Fna stands for many Moroccans as, say, the Eiffel Tower for some French People: no longer as a symbol of local culture, but as a symbol of local culture expropriated by the tourist industry and wealthy foreigners; King Mohammed VI has maintained himself in power by exploiting and catering to these foreigners - including his adoption of a democratic facade that hides enormous inequities. Walk the streets of Marrakesh or Essaouira, and the resentment is palpable.
Another, very unpleasant factor may have entered the equation of political renewal in the Arabic-speaking world.
for the WOID Gang
Hysterix le Gaulois