A "Giant" At The Spain-Morocco Border
- 12/11/12
Ignacio Cembrero
Spanish security forces deployed on the frontier of Melilla are breathing a sigh of relief. For a little while at least they will not have to cross paths with "The Giant," who taunts them from the no man's land between Spanish and Moroccan checkpoints. For now, they will not face hails of stones from youths incited by Said Chramti, which has at times forced the closure of the international border of Beni Enzar.
Chramti, 36, obtained his nickname because he is almost two meters tall. He was cut down a peg or two late last month when he was arrested by Spanish police under a warrant issued by prosecutors in Nador, Melilla's neighboring city. He was later released on bail but named as a suspect in a list of crimes: unauthorized protest, disobeying the authorities and causing injury to a public servant in the exercise of his duties. Curiously, the Moroccan media has largely ignored his detention.
His most recent act was carried out in Melilla, the first time Chramti had taken his struggle to Spanish soil. Some of his followers entered the city's historical quarter and smashed the arm off a statue of Pedro de Estopiñán, who conquered the city in 1497. Chramti sent photos of the raid to the press. He has also been known to contact the Spanish media to boast about his feats against "Spanish colonialism," although he has remained silent since his arrest.
In the Spanish autonomous city, though, many applaud The Giant's arrest, starting with the city governor, Juan José Imbroda. Prosecutors in Melilla are also drawing up reports on some of his acolytes.
Most in Melilla would like to see Chramti spend a little time behind bars. The vice president of the Committee for the Liberation of Ceuta and Melilla has some penal experience - a total of 37 months for fomenting illegal immigration, lack of an identity card and handling stolen goods, among other offenses.
|
|
When Chramti is not organizing the stoning of Spanish police, he amuses himself by stopping food trucks heading into Melilla, as in summer 2010, with fruits, vegetables and fish. But The Giant's biggest stunt came in September 2008, when he recognized the chief of police, a Treasury official and three colleagues returning from a meeting with their Moroccan counterparts in the Customs building 300 meters from the border. Chramti began to harangue the officials, who were dressed incognito, drawing a crowd of around 100 people who surrounded the delegation. The officials sought refuge in a hairdresser's establishment until the Moroccan police came to their rescue.
The six Spanish civil servants filed a police complaint in Madrid over the incident, for which Chramti received an 18-month jail term. However, Morocco does not have an extradition treaty with Spain. Chramti was scheduled to be tried in Nador in February under a bilateral judicial agreement. The officials oddly withdrew their complaint at around the same time.
Since municipal elections in 2009 Chramti has been under the political tutelage of Yahya Yahya, the mayor of Beni Enzar and the leader of the Committee for the Liberation of Ceuta and Melilla. Yahya was sentenced to 15 months in Melilla in 2008 for resisting arrest when the police went to his house following a report of assault. His wife was injured in the incident but Yahya was cleared of domestic violence charges.
Yahya then went to live on the Moroccan side of the border but his behavior did not change. In Rome in August 2008, he had a violent argument with his wife in a restaurant and, according to Italian media. When the Carabinieri arrived at his hotel to arrest him they were greeted with a flurry of fists. He was sentenced to 30 months for "rebellion against and causing injury to" a police officer and for domestic assault.
|
"The Giant" and Yahya with hand of Conquistador statute taken from Spanish controlled Melillia |
Morocco withdrew its ambassador to Rome in protest as Yahya is a senator. He is also co-president of the Hispano-Moroccan parliamentary group. Allied with Yahya, Chramti has now expanded his own base of operations. In August he orchestrated the incursion of half a dozen activists on the Spanish territory of Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera and in October, coinciding with the Spain-Morocco summit in Rabat, he attempted the same thing on the island garrison of Alhucemas.
His followers did manage to briefly plant a Moroccan flag on the Spanish Chafarinas islands on the same day.
Although Chramti is a thorn in the side of the Spanish authorities, he enjoys a degree of public backing. When he emerged from custody two weeks ago dozens of supporters were waiting outside the police station. Among them was Yahya. The Giant's complaints about the "arbitrariness" of the Spanish police - whom he accuses of preventing Moroccan youths from entering Melilla from Nador and of stamping Moroccan passports with "annulled" - have not gone unheeded.
Until now, Chramti has not had to answer for the altercations he has provoked on the Morocco-Spain border. He also enjoys a good relationship with the men who guard it. In 2008, this correspondent, guided by Chramti, made a tour of the Moroccan side of the border that would have otherwise been impossible, even with official permits. At the same time, a French journalist mistakenly jumped a Moroccan checkpoint on a highway. Thanks to Chramti, she faced no sanctions...
Article Previously published by El Pais
Add comment
Comments (14)
The king and his cronies, a' la Hassan II, cannot discard the millions of his followers. They are lucky that they pulled themselves from the F20 movement, otherwise, we would have anther Libya in our hands.
Come on, man. No inflation of numbers, please. We are no fans of fairy tales in this board.
By the way, Messi has more followers in Morocco than the self-proclaimed prophet of doom and gloom.
Besides, MAP did mention the death of the leader of the cult of daydreamers and fantasists.
Check your facts first. And do not let your prejudice about X or Y cloud your judgement. Honestly.
His contribution to culture is beyond measure. The man deserves our respect more than the self-appointed charlatan.
I am no fan of anything that comes out of ANY religion. I actually think that religion is the root of all evil, but I do know one thing; those like you who defend authoritarian regimes will find themselves lonely. Even Russia a staunch ally of Bashar is now saying that his end is near.
When every time someone is dead M6 rushes his brother to the funerals and "forgets" to do the same thing for Mr. Yassine, this is not a smart thing to do. The Jamaa will remember and next time there is another F20 in the street, you better believe that the followers of EL Jamaa will not pack and go home as they once did.
My small advice to you is don't die on the wrong side of history no matter how beneficial to your family is the makhzen.
The only ones who defend a dictatorship are the ones benefiting from it on the back of the masses, the sad part for them is that the party will not last because change is in the air. It only took a vegetable seller moul khizzou to flip the dictators upside down.
The only other folks defending the monarchy are the 50% illeterates( 3ash lmalik and goulou l3am zine).
You wan t data, then simply Google his name, do your homework before your not so intelligent reply.
If you too feel that some Indian dude is more news worthy than the death of one of the leader of the main opposition in Morocco, then you are no weld leblad. Wlad lablad are better that. Trust me.
Here we go again. Without knowing what I stand for, you drew some hasty conclusions about my politics. Blunder, numero uno!
Trust me, I do not have time to worry about someone who presents incorrect info as fact.
For a start, check your stats before you throw them at me. Illiteracy rate is way down to your claimed 50%. It is in the region of 30%. FACT.
Next, Morocco is no Switzerland. But no one can come here and declare honestly that the current governement is illegitimate.
All independent observers agree that PJD won the election fairly and squarely. So I do not see how you could come up here with the idea of a dictatorship unless you do not agree with the constitution and how it was negotiated. That's another story.
As I told you in my previous post, life is too short to worry about the royal protocol and whether the king should send a representative or not. It is his business and nobody's else. We live in a free world.
Besides, the self-appointed prophet is dead. Get over it. He is but a tiny footnote in the history of Moroccan political life.
Granted, he was a nuisance, a pain in the neck, a bother, a hassle, a pest, and an irritation.
He was but a molehill that overgrew to a mountain thanks to some silly mistakes made by the late king and his advisers.
Nonetheless, he was a fraudster, an imposter and a bluffer. He won't be missed in many quarters. Good riddance, next.
Here it is:
Mean years of schooling of adults 15 years and older is 4 years
More than have the population is has a 4th grade education or less.
I am not talking about the PJD, the PJD other than being incompetent and powerless, they are actually decent people, I am talking specifically about the shadow government, the one formed by cronies that people like you do not like to talk about.
When you grow up you'll know what i am talking about.
If you think education is those who were thought to say alif, ba, ta, tha,....then you won.
hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/103006.html
With that being said, I am not going to waste my time teaching someone who lives in lala land and their motto is goulou l3am zine.
Have a good life!
"Mean years of schooling of adults 15 years and older is 4 years
More than have the population is has a 4th grade education or less."
I couldn't make head or tail of this waffle.
As to the supposed existence of a shadow government, it's a mirage, an illusion, a pipe dream concocted by the so-called "independent" commentators.
For a start, the king has the right to choose whomever he wants as his advisers like everyone else in authority.
Second, he has the power to make use of all his constitutional prerogatives. They are no secret agendas. The constitution is clear. It is in black and white if you care to read it.
Besides, the prime minster has enough authority to effect change. If he doesn't like using all his powers, don't blame him. Blame the voters who put him there.
Take care.
Get out of Sahara and give the sahwaris the vote you promised but never delivered. Liars. You think Yassine was GOD, LOL, you bow to your king 3 times at these ceromonies and you accuse Yassine of being a god figure. Who are you fooling?
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Upcoming Events
| Sun May 19 @17:00 - Nass El Ghiwane Film: "Trances" |
- MoroccoTravel.co.uk Domain for sale
- Jobs In Seattle
- LEXUS LX 750 2011
- Meds 4 sale
- land 4 sale Tangier
- Arabic Interpreter
- Appt 4 sale Cabo Negro
- Add Properties 4 free
- Apple Iphone 5
- Med Marijuana 4 sale
- Morocco Guide Wanted
- fundraising 4 trip !
- Carpentry services
- 3% interest Loan
- TIME SHARE - Orlando
- Au Pair Wanted
- Tours to Morocco
- pro Martial Arts & Jujitsu
- Info on medical program
- Apt 4 Sale- KENITRA
- luxury appartement
- video editor/studio intern
- parrots, birds and eggs
- Drivers
- Vintage Rug
- Bouznika Bay
- worker
- AU PAIR
- aupair
- Bride
- Riads in Marrakech
- Morocco: Biz 4 Sale
- Lux Apt in Marrakech
- Muslim Matrimonials
- Married Couple
- AU PAIR
- Nanny needed
- actress
- Beach Villa For sale
- Burger King
- appt 4 SALE - RABAT
- appt swap: Berlin Morocco
- Nanny/Driver/Chef
- Al Hammam !
- Summer is Here
- my bride!
- GIRL TO MARRY
- forestland for sale
- NYC housekeeper P/T
- Organic Argan Oil
- APPT casablanca
- car rental Agcy sale
- Promotion Agent Wanted
- Stock market
- wife
- House Swap
- Educational materials
- Swap House
- Moroccan Cookies
- Looking 4 Muslima
- Parrot Birds Parrot Eggs
- EDUCATION
- Moroccan jazz
- Customer Service Rep
- Appt 4 sale Temara
Contributors
To post Video, images and links please use appropriate button