Violence in stadiums: Tougher anti-violence measures
The new local commissions to combat stadium violence will soon be operational. The decree creating this new mechanism was published in the latest edition of the Official Gazette. The government’s ambition is to beef up the fight against a series of incidents at stadiums and in the surrounding neighborhoods.
In Casablanca, for example, local residents of the Mohammed V Complex dread match days. The same applies to other regions, especially when the stadium is located in the city center. In recent years, the travels of fans of «visiting» clubs have generally resulted in outbursts, violence, and vandalism. Several initiatives aimed at putting an end to stadium violence have not had the desired effect. With the new Local Commissions, the government is changing its approach. Under the terms of a decree published in the Official Gazette, each prefecture or province will be equipped with an entity to combat stadium violence. The entity will be chaired by the governor of the prefecture or province. These local Commissions will be made up of representatives of the various authorities: the Minister of Sport, the Royal Gendarmerie, the National Security, the Auxiliary Forces, the Civil Protection, in addition to a magistrate appointed by the Supreme Council of the Judiciary. According to the decree, the governor may also request the presence, in an advisory capacity, of any person he deems useful. These local Commissions are also empowered to set up thematic Committees in areas falling within their remit.
In concrete terms, these local Commissions will be responsible for taking all measures to combat violence in stadiums. They will be empowered to monitor the security of matches and sporting events. This applies both inside and outside stadiums, before, during and after matches. These Commissions will also have to put in place the mechanisms needed to implement, at the local level, decisions to ban people from attending matches or sporting events. Generally speaking, this sanction, which can be handed down against people involved in sporting violence, was difficult to apply, given the current conditions under which such events are organized. Under the new system, these local Commissions will be required to maintain a database containing the identities and images of the persons concerned, in compliance with regulations on the protection of personal data.
These Commissions will also be empowered to monitor the ticketing system, and propose measures to improve it. They will also be required to propose stadium security upgrade programs and monitor their implementation. They may also give their opinion, in an advisory capacity, on the scheduling of matches. They will also be required to draw up an annual activity report for submission to the Ministers of the Interior, Justice, Sport and National Defense.
Mohamed Ali Mrabi
