Unrest in Morocco
Thousands of citizens in the West African country of Morocco took to the streets to protest the death of a fisherman crushed to death in a garbage truck. The man was attempting to save his catch from being destroyed after they were confiscated by police for having been caught outside of the designated catching season. Videos of the event have been circulated online and prompted outrage on social media. Several cities have seen protests against police violence in the country, and King Mohammed VI called for an investigation. Authorities denied that local officers were involved in the death, and the prime minister released a statement offering his condolences and dissuading his supporters from participating in the protests. The country suffers from high unemployment, police abuse and corruption.
Miners trapped in Chinese coal mine
Fifteen are dead and eighteen are missing from a coal mine in China after a gas explosion triggered a cave-in. The Jinshangou Coal Mine is located in a rural area in central China, and authorities are rushing to coordinate a rescue attempt. Only two people escaped the blast, and it is unclear at this point how many might have survived. This is far from the first accident at a Chinese coal mine; twelve people were killed by a gas leak at another mine in March, and four miners were rescued after being trapped underground for 36 days in January.
Turkey cracks down on media
Following the failed coup attempt in July, Turkish authorities have shut down fifteen media outlets and detained the editor-in-chief critical of the government. Among the outlets shut down was one of the world’s only women’s news agencies. The government claimed that the outlets committed crimes on behalf of Kurdish militias without offering any proof. The outlets are mostly located in Kurdishpredominant southeast of the country, and brings the total count of news outlets shut down to 60. Rights groups have denounced the recent crackdowns on freedom of speech in the country.
