Moroccan Community in London Celebrates Unity Day, 51st Anniversary of Green March

London – Members of the Moroccan community in the United Kingdom gathered in London on Saturday to celebrate Unity Day and mark the 51st anniversary of the Green March, at an event organized by the British Moroccan Community CIC association. 

Participants marched through several of central London’s iconic streets, including Birdcage Walk, The Mall and Constitution Hill, passing near St. James’s Park and Buckingham Palace before making their way to Kensington Gardens. 

Wearing the national flag and dressed, for some, in traditional Moroccan costumes, notably caftans and melhfas, the participants sang the national anthem and chanted slogans in unison, supporting Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara, reaffirming their attachment to the territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the glorious Alaouite Throne.

The event, which sought to evoke the spirit of solidarity and mobilization associated with the Green March, unfolded in a festive and patriotic atmosphere, with the national colors on display throughout the procession across the British capital. 

The gathering brought together Moroccan families, including parents accompanied by their children, as well as young people and friends of Morocco from various parts of the United Kingdom and several European countries, who came together to celebrate their shared national identity. 

The event aims to celebrate Morocco’s history and cultural heritage while providing Moroccans living in the United Kingdom with an opportunity to come together around a landmark event in the country’s national history, Malika Ait Mimoun and Samira Mellouki, directors of the British Moroccan Community CIC association, told MAP. 

They also stressed that the initiative provides an opportunity to pass on the historical and symbolic significance of the Green March to younger generations of the diaspora while strengthening their ties to their roots and country of origin. 

The event also seeks to promote Moroccan culture and traditions among British audiences and strengthen ties between the different segments of the Moroccan community in the United Kingdom, they added. 

Following the march, participants gathered at Kensington Gardens for a series of artistic and cultural activities aimed at encouraging interaction and strengthening bonds within the Moroccan diaspora.