Javier Bardem joins protest against Western Sahara violations

ACTOR Javier Bardem joined thousands of protesters opposed to Morocco’s human rights violations in the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara.

It comes after Moroccan security forces raided a camp housing about 20,000 people demanding better living conditions near the Western Saharan capital Laayoune.

Amnesty International has called for a full investigation after the Moroccan government admitted that at least 12 people died, including 10 police officers.

Protests against the treatment of the Saharawi people of Western Sahara have been taking place every night in Jerez.

Up to 100 demonstrators are demanding independence for the region, that was annexed by Morocco 24 years ago.

The protestors have condemned both the Spanish and Moroccan government for their mistreatment of the Saharawi people.

Protesters blamed Spain for the problems in the region. Spain colonised the area from 1884 until its pull out in 1975.

Demonstrator Larabas Labeidi, a Western Sahara native enrolled in a Master’s in Economics program at the University de Sevilla, explained that Western Sahara remains crippled by this post-colonial grey area.

“Spain is responsible for all of this” he said. “We cannot properly defend ourselves because we are not our own country. We still, after 35 years, do not have a legal document that says that we are free from Spain.”