RABAT/CASABLANCA: Moroccan riot police chased hundreds of demonstrators defying a ban on protests through the streets of the capital Rabat Sunday, suggesting a less tolerant approach to dissent in the North African monarchy.
Protesters wanted to camp in front of the Parliament in Rabat, but authorities are anxious to avoid a repeat of the events in Cairo earlier this year when protesters occupying Tahrir Square eventually toppled the government.

Police armed with batons and shields moved people off the streets of an intersection in one neighborhood where the march was to start. Protesters broke off into smaller groups, often with police chasing behind.
One prominent protest leader who had been beaten the week before suffered a severe concussion, said protester Jalal Makhfi. About six people were injured, he said, but others said far more were hurt.

In recent months, protesters seeking more democratic rights and economic benefits have held several nationwide protests in the country of 32 million, resulting in at least six deaths. But the protests have failed to match the scale of those elsewhere.
A group of jobless graduates worked their way through a crowd to approach King Mohammad after he led Friday prayers and chanted “Your majesty, we want jobs.”
The outburst was considered a daring breach of protocol in a country where the king is revered.