Street Story: Arrested for street Photo-reportage in Morocco

During my go to to Chefchaouen, as a Morocco citizen, I become virtually arrested for avenue pictures. But it wasn`t as easy as that. The tale at the back of why and the way is the maximum unexpected part, and now that I`m free, it`s additionally the maximum pleasing part, for me… Yes, you examine that right. I become arrested for capturing avenue pictures in Morocco. In the small, blue metropolis of Chefchaouen to be particular. Up excessive withinside the Rif Mountains of Morocco.Nothing precipitated this arrest, aside from being visible photographing in public. No altercation or grievance happened, either. And no, it isn’t unlawful to shoot avenue pictures in Morocco.Since avenue pictures is flawlessly felony here, then how did I get taken right into a police station through 5 officials for truly the use of my digital digicam in public? All 3 guys are dressed ordinary so I ask to look a badge or I`m now no longer going anywhere. This reasons one guy to begin aggressively yelling at me in Arabic moroccan darija, which activates any other guy to get in the front of him and display me his police ID. Then extra guys come up, inclusive of the authentic guy. I ask what the purpose for preventing me is. They won`t virtually answer, however one man mentions that I can`t take pix in public and I higher now no longer erase whatever on my digital digicam. I`m nevertheless very suspicious of ways they`re appearing and the way they’re dressed, however they inform me they’re dressed ordinary due to the fact they’re undercover police. They don`t have handcuffs, however they inform me I`m being arrested and brought to the police station of their automobile. I ask if we will stroll considering I understand the station is most effective blocks away, in place of entering into their antique automobile with not anything displaying it`s for police (nevertheless suspicious). The identical competitive guy says no and grabs me, however any other guy says sure and motions for him to allow me go. So we stroll to the station.The competitive officer, we`ll name him “horrific cop,” appears to be the only in price and maintains being verbally competitive with me, even as any other officer acts absolutely the other in the direction of me. The total “proper cop, horrific cop” routine. They maintain asking questions on my career and what I`m doing there, even as making feedback approximately how I want to have authorization and papers which will take pix with humans in public in Morocco (now no longer true). At the identical time, different men are going thru all of the pix on my digital digicam, one through one, even as preventing to asking me questions on particular pix from time to time. This interrogation is going on for round 30 minutes. They talk Arabic and French, however now no longer the great english so verbal exchange isn`t great. At one point, one in all them asks me if I talk any Arabic. When I say no, he replies “that`s now no longer proper” with a bizarre smile and shake of his head, which didn`t supply me the great feeling.

(Through this cross-examination, I keep thinking about all the possibilities of what could happen here. I knew I didn’t do anything wrong, but it’s all so strange and I’m exotic. I never knew it because I was on the mountain.)
This is arguably the strangest experience I’ve had while filming the streets. All of this is still happening and it’s interesting to think about why. The entire routine of good cop and bad cop in a dirty old cross-examination room was straight from the movie. What happened in a small, secluded town in the middle of the mountains of Morocco was undoubtedly added to the experience. And if I were actually a Moroccan citizen rather than an American citizen, I wouldn’t know what happened to me.

Print Share Comment Cite Upload Translate Updates

Leave a Reply Cancel reply