Beginning with October 25, 1936 the date when the Assembly for National Action held sessions of its first conference, the goals of the national movement were clear and well defined. The means to achieve these goals were also put in place with the organization of patriotic potentialities for the national plan. It was therefore a demonstration to the protectorate power that the Assembly for National Action was not limited to a few people who were making demands separately and individually for implementing a policy for reforms. Rather it was an organized and established national movement from all corners of Morocco with a well defined plan with legitimate aspirations that needed to be satisfied to assuage the grievances from all of the Moroccan people. Hence that is why it was decided to organize meetings that would show popular support for the Reform Plan across various cities.
The meeting in Fez on November 2, 1936
The first meeting occurred in Fez in front of an audience estimated to be over 3,000 people.
In his unrehearsed speech, the leader Allal El Fassi, welcome the large gathering that responded to the call from the Assembly for National Action and then he shared the reasons for setting up this meeting. He introduced the emissaries of the movement who had come back from Paris and announced an upcoming meeting to evaluate the results obtained as part of the framework of raising the awareness in the French circles that the emissaries contacted.
Then Said Hajji was given the floor and he gave a speech on democratic freedoms. Other orators followed him, each in turn tackling issues concerning education, judicial reform, current political state of affairs, the poverty of the Moroccan farmers, and issues raised by workforce conditions.
Allal El Fassi then gave a lecture on the adopted motions of the first conference of the Assembly for National Action as well as the final text of the "Urgent Reforms" which were unanimously supported by the attendees.
The meeting in Salé on November 10, 1936
The meeting in Salé was patterned after that held in Fez. The session was opened by Abou Bakr Kadiri who welcomed the attendees and gave the floor to Allal El Fassi. The latter gave a speech focusing on the history of the national movement, its principles and objectives as well as the means put in place to achieve its aspirations for a life that is free and full of dignity.
Like in Fez, Said Hajji was next to head up to the podium to once again speak about public freedoms. He was followed by a number of speakers from Fez who were joined by Haj Ahmed Maâninou from the Salé chapter to talk about topics such as education, judicial reform and working conditions for workers which were essential areas of the Reform Plan.
Then Abou Bakr Kadiri gave a lecture on the motions taken at the first conference and the text of the "Urgent Demands" and asked the attendees to approve them by acclamation.
The banned meeting in Casablanca scheduled for November 17, 1936
A very large public gathering came to participate in the third open meeting of the Assembly for National Action however they were surprise to see a large contingent of police intermixed with authorities led by the Khalifa (Representative) of the Pasha of Casablanca. The latter stood in front of the movement leaders to inform them that the event was banned. The public gathering, composed essentially of youths, rebelled and began to shout patriotic songs all the while proclaiming slogans liable for serious repercussions such as "Long Live Liberty", "Down with Oppression" etc... They lifted Allal El Fassi on their shoulders who then, in defiance of the police, literally exhorted the crowd with a speech denouncing the arbitrary measures taken to stifle liberties and asked the demonstrators to return to their homes peacefully and with dignity. A few moments later, the three movement leaders, Allal El Fassi, Mohammed El Yazidi and Mohammed Hassan El Wazzani, were arrested and forcibly thrown unceremoniously into jail like common criminals. News of their arrest spread like lightning to all the Moroccan cities where improvised demonstrations were organized by local leaders of the Assembly for National Action.
In Salé, the demonstrators left the residence of Mohammed Bekkali towards the Sidi Ahmed Hajji Mausoleum. The number of demonstrators grew to such proportions that the authorities had to call for significant reinforcements of the police. It was in this state of enthusiasm that Said Hajji spoke out about the reasons the Salé branch of the Assembly for National Action had organized this demonstration. He insisted that this massive gathering of the Salé people remain a peaceful in their demonstration of solidarity with the leaders who were arrested in Casablanca and their demand for their immediate release. Afterwards the crowd headed to the Sidi Ahmed Hajji Mosque where Abou Bakr Kadiri gave a speech that provided a summary of the themes from the first conference of the Assembly for National Action and denounced the unjustified arrests of the leaders of the movement.
At the conclusion of the gathering, Abou Bake Kadiri was sent to prison with six other demonstrators including Haj Ahmed Maâninou and Mohammed Bekkali. Many other patriots from other cities received the same treatment so much so the government of France had to send directives to the protectorate government to free the three leaders arrested in Casablanca as well as the other detainees who had participated in the ensuing solidarity demonstrations. Hence after month of arbitrary incarceration, all who were imprisoned after the banning of the third meeting in Casablanca were released.
It is of use to note the callousness of how the patriots were taken, for having done nothing wrong in the end, to the police station and submitted to humiliating interrogations followed by being incarcerated often without judgment. It brings to mind a similar treatment during that same year incurred by Abou Bakr Kadiri when he was remanded to prison for not obeying the injunction against his opening the free school, "Al Nahda" which at the time was referred to as a madrassa. Better yet, when the court ordered his release, Said Hajji, Kacem Zhiri and Haj Ahmed Maâninou dared to applaud outside the court as he left the premises at the end of his incarceration and for that, they in turn were arrested and spent a few days in the Rabat prison for the "crime of applauding."
Abderraouf Hajji.
