Exploring the Voices of the Rif Hirak activism: The struggle for democracy in Morocco

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores how the Rif Hirak activists perceive the legitimacy of the demands that were made vocal in the northern Rif of Morocco following the tragic death of a fishmonger in 2016. Given the lack of empirical studies, this article aims at stimulating more in-depth research into this neglected territory of knowledge. Accordingly, our major aim is to look at how these activists (i) perceive the emergence of the Rif Hirak Movement (ii) the basis on which they perceive the legitimacy of their demands and (iii) last how State’s approach towards these demands impacted youth emigration. To achieve this purpose, 15 activists were interviewed. The findings reported here strongly indicated the activists’ determination to the Voice option, mainly because of its legitimate basis. On the basis of this knowledge, the data gathered will be analyzed within the Voice, loyalty, and exit (EVL) framework.