Blast rips through Moroccan cafe; casualties reported
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 28, 2011 -- Updated 1334 GMT (2134 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* The state-run news agency reports deaths and injuries
* The explosion happened in the central part of Marrakesh
* Police are investigating the incident
(CNN) -- At least 14 people were killed and 20 injured Thursday -- most of them
tourists -- when an explosion tore through a cafe in the Moroccan city of
Marrakesh, the state-run news agency said.
Maghreb Arabe Presse quoted one official as saying that early indications point
to a terrorist attack.
Witnesses told CNN the blast occurred at Cafe Argana in Place Jemaa el Fna, the
popular bazaar that draws thousands of tourists every year.
Rescuers were dispatched to the scene and police opened an investigation, the
news agency reported.
It is not immediately known whether the attack was linked to unrest across the
Arab world or militant activity.
There have been protests lately in the North African country.
Thousands of Moroccans held a peaceful demonstration nationwide Sunday, calling
for a radical overhaul of the country's governance before a new constitution is
unveiled in June by King Mohammed VI.
The march was organized by the Facebook youth movement Fevrier 20. The group
said its members would not accept the present draft constitution because it was
written by the king's own people. It denounced his decision to refer the new
constitution to a committee he appointed.
King Mohammed announced last month he would give up some of his wide-scale
powers and make the judiciary independent -- the latter a particularly hot
subject in Morocco.
Calls for an end to political detention and questions about the king's personal
business activities were also on protesters' banners. There was visible
resentment at the royal family's business operations, controlled by its holding
company SNI. There were also groups protesting about the prices of basic
household items.
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