On the eve of the resumption of the Moroccan football championship, the authorities announced a new decree against the violence of ultra groups. For Abderrahim Bourkia, a sociologist specializing in hooliganism, the priority would above all be to combine security arsenal and social measures.
One week before the resumption of the national football championship and after the elimination of the CAN in Ivory Coast, Morocco is launching a new anti-hooliganism system. On February 1, the Government Council approved a draft decree creating local commissions to combat violence in sports venues. A novelty in the Moroccan legal arsenal recalls similar measures adopted in countries that have succeeded in curbing the phenomenon.
The project “is part of the implementation of the provisions of the Penal Code about acts of violence committed during sporting events, which entrusts the government authority responsible for sports, federations and sports clubs with and to the local commission responsible for combating violence within sports venues, as well as to the public authorities and forces and to the officers of the judicial police, each as far as they are concerned, to apply the judgments rendered by the court relating to the ban on attending competitions and sporting events,” indicated government spokesperson Mustapha Baïtas during a press briefing following the Council.
Professor of sociology of sport at the Hassan-1er University of Settat, Abderrahim Bourkia is notably the author of the book Ultras dans la ville and a member of the Moroccan Center for Social Sciences (CM2S). Researcher associated with the Regional Observatory of Delinquency and Social Contexts (ORDCS) and the Mediterranean Sociology Laboratory (LAMES), the academic has been following for many years the evolution of the concept of “supporterism” in Morocco and in the Mediterranean area. He analyzes the new government measure for Jeune Afrique.
Jeune Afrique: What overall reading do you make of the draft decree adopted by the Government Council?
Abderrahim Bourkia: Let us recognize that the fact that the public authorities are looking into the phenomenon is commendable. I am always for this type of initiative, as long as they do not remain just a project or a file placed in a drawer. It seems to me that we talk about it often. There were again events about a month ago in Bernoussi, one of the districts of Casablanca. I had the opportunity to discuss and comment on the incidents from my point of view. I perfectly understand the emergence of several recent texts to toughen up repression with the aim of “eradicating” the violence that revolves around stadiums. The continued strengthening of normative production seems a priori to respond to the radicalization of violence linked to supporting activities. However, is this the only path to take?
La Botola (the Moroccan Football Championship) resumes next week, do you think that the provisions provided for in the draft decree will be immediately effective?
No, I don’t think things are that easy. In-depth work needs to be done. And already many questions remain, not only at the constitutional level. It is a question of the applicability of the texts that remains pending. So, I am not for the legislative frenzy. It is not enough to “write” laws, we must work with what we already have, seek to make implementation more flexible, and adapt the legislation to the Moroccan context. And above all, avoid copying a European law on Moroccan specificities. It should also be added that “troublemakers” and rioters constitute a marginal – and infamous – part of all supporters.
Concretely, do you expect a notable drop in cases of violence in and around stadiums following the creation of committees at the local level?
We cannot decide. It would be hasty to speak out and talk more about effectiveness… However, we can question the relevance of this new initiative. Until now, no concrete solution to this real problem of violence has been implemented. From the outset, the measures as they are announced reveal the confusion that still exists (lexicon, terminology used, etc.) and which betrays any good reflection on the phenomenon. The public authorities are still prospecting even though the phenomenon is not new. So, in my opinion, there are still things to adjust. Asking the right questions is the first step to combating the violence that revolves around stadiums
The football spectacle is not impervious to the ills of society as a whole.
It is good to create a dynamic and take seriously this thorn which disturbs the momentum of the development of sport in Morocco. But you have to arm yourself with a lot of realism. The succession of important texts that move in the direction of a significant tightening of repression and mark major developments is one thing. Putting it into practice is another. Above all, it would take time, work, and humility about the research that has already been carried out on this subject, taking into account what has already been done, and capitalizing on it. Local committees can take these elements as a basis.
As a specialist on the subject, what assessment do you make of the Moroccan legal arsenal in the fight against violence in stadiums?
I said it, I am not for legislative frenzy. Certainly, the legal arsenal is there, but unfortunately, it remains insufficient. Also, it would be preferable to combine security with social aspects. Sociocultural prevention is recommended, even essential, to stem this violence around stadiums – which is only a reflection of the ills of our society – and in everyday life.
Upstream, we must understand this type of violence as a manifestation of social disruption. Some of the actors are not new to this and find their motivations in another space-time. Social factors are legion: unemployment, family situation, school failure, unsanitary housing, lack of prospects, etc. All this calls for an approach that relies more on education, accountability, and above all, support and supervision of supporters. Hence the crucial role of the actors of socialization, namely family, school, youth center. All this requires a real policy towards and for young people.
In the stands and outside, what do you think the reaction of the ultras movement could be after the decree comes into force?
The perception of supporters and ultra groups is clear: “This aims to eradicate us”. Knowing that contrary to what some media have suggested, we cannot “dissolve” them because these groups are not recognized by law. They will therefore denounce repressive measures that “tie them up”. We understand that, following a repressive policy, they already see themselves as victims of liberticidal and undemocratic legislation. For my part, I am wondering more about how and about the applicability of the stadium and travel bans, in anticipation, without any judgment being passed and without any legitimate judicial authority recognizing the wrongdoing.
We will be entitled to protest songs and slogans that sing of freedom. They will say that the new decree is another way of restricting public freedoms and “killing” the movement. I will end by saying that the football spectacle is not impervious to the ills of society as a whole. It is desirable to keep out troublemakers by banning stadiums. To achieve this, stadium managers must have the means to monitor the condition of the turns and stands, for better organization of the show. This is to benefit from the experiences of other countries, which have radically transformed their stadiums, becoming places of pleasure, conviviality, and good humor, after having been areas of confrontation against a backdrop of socio-economic problems between supporters from disadvantaged families.
