Many injured as Moroccan police beat protesters (Reuters)

RABAT and CASABLANCA (Reuters) - Moroccan police beat demonstrators who defied a ban on demonstrations across the country Sunday, leading to arrests and dozens of wounded, some of them fatal, said witnesses.

Violence seems to indicate a line of more severe Government against the protest movement, which became more defiant after the festive events from February, but has yet to attract public support in mass.

Some protesters are becoming more openly on criticizing King Mohammed but the demonstrations have failed match the scale of those in several other Arab countries.

Much of the anger was the Makhzen, Royal Court of the Morocco. "" Protest is a legal, why fear the Makhzen? "".evict punctuated Casablanca. "Makhzen out." "Low despotism."

A Reuters correspondent saw riot police seven attacking a bearded man in his thirties, on several occasions to knock the head and body, causing serious haemorrhaging.

"We have been called here to preserve the order because of the unauthorized protest," said a police officer on the scene who refused to give her name.

In Fez, three influential members of the movement of protest in the city were "very critical condition", said demonstrator Fathallah al-Hamdani. Casualties were also reported in Tangier and elsewhere.

No one was available at the Ministry of the Interior to comment on reports of demonstrators.

Demonstrators wanted camping across the Parliament in Rabat, but the authorities have been anxious to avoid a repetition of the events in Cairo earlier this year when demonstrators occupy Tahrir square finally helped to overthrow the Government.

In major cities, police armed with batons and shields moved people on the streets around where they met. Demonstrators broke into small groups, often with the police chasing behind.

A leader of protest in Rabat which had already been beaten a week ago has suffered a serious concussion Sunday, said protester Jalal Makhfi.

Some human rights activists were beaten from the Prefecture of police, where they had tried to win the release of 13 members of the AMDH of the human rights group, said Khadija Riyadi, another Member of the group.

Protesters said police beat dozens in Casablanca.

"We are standing together for the dignity," said a protest leaflet. "We are against despotism, corruption." We are for the dignity, freedom, democracy and social justice.

PROTESTS GATHERING STRENGTH

Long considered a stable and relatively moderate State, Morocco has seen growing unrest this year inspired by uprisings successful in Tunisia and Egypt.

In recent months seeking more democratic rights and economic benefits demonstrators have held several demonstrations across the country in the country of 32 million, making at least six dead.

Last Friday, a group of unemployed graduates worked their way through a crowd of nearly the King after leading Friday prayers and chanted "Your Majesty, we want jobs." Television State cut a broadcast live as slogans began.

The outbreak was considered a daring violation of the Protocol in a country where portrait orne King's many shops and public spaces and many treat him with reverence. The King is also the Commander of the faithful, the leader of the Moroccan Muslims who are descended from the Prophet Mohammed.

The Royal family ruled the Morocco since the 17th century and has survived the French colonial rule and independence.

The Morocco has the lowest GDP per capita in the region of the Maghreb which includes also the Algeria, the Tunisia and the Libya. Many live in poverty and nearly half of the population is illiterate.

In response to public demonstrations, the King announced in March that it would amend the constitution to allow more democratic rights. A commission is due to announce a draft constitution next month.

(Edited by David Stamp)

The Moroccan forces disperse protest by the opposition

RABAT - Moroccan forces used truncheons to disperse a demonstration was on the southern outskirts of the capital of the Kingdom Rabat on Sunday, several injured, said a Reuters journalist on the scene.

Dozens of demonstrators belonging to the anti-Government movement February 20 tried to organize a picnic of protest from what they claim is a secret government detention centre in the region of Temara, where are are Islamists.

The Government denies that it runs secret detention centres. She later obtained permission for the Attorney General and the national Council of human rights to inspect the headquarters of the domestic intelligence service, said of the MAP news agency.

Police hunted riot the demonstrators before the rally could begin, beating some with long rubber truncheons. Police said that no arrests were made.

At an event later in the outskirts of Rabat, security forces have beaten into a coma one of the founders of the movement on 20 February, Osama ElKhlifi, a doctor and militant said. No independent verification of the report was immediately available.

February 20 is related to the reform demonstrations and uprisings this year elsewhere in the Arab world.

"It is the latest in a series of violent interventions by the security forces, which shows that the authorities are no longer tolerate the Group peaceful demonstrations," said Nizar Benmate of the movement.

Spokesman for the head of Government, Khalid Naciri said by the radio station Atlantic soldier who protest Temara was interrupted because he had been prohibited.

He denied there was a secret detention centre, in the area saying that the building of the finger by the demonstrators was a local government administrative office.

DENIAL OF GOVERNMENT

Moroccan officials deny the allegations made by opposition groups and some human rights activists that they run secret detention centres and to say to all detainees are treated in strict accordance with the law.

Human rights activists say Islamic militant political and others have been held and tortured at the building of Temara.

The map did not say when the visit of inspection of Temara would take place. King Mohammed has created the Council of the rights of man in March in protests.

The Agency said about 100 "extremists" blocked a road in the city of the North of Tangier. He reported an incident similar to FEZ where he said that some protesters method knives and flags of al-Qaeda. No there was no independent confirmation of the reports.

Some 50,000 people gathered in the evening for a pro-reform rally in Casablanca, said organizers. Independent sources put the number at about 15,000.

The Union of the national press criticized the authorities for rough treatment of journalists to the protest of Temara. Security forces beat two journalists, two other manhandled and confiscated some equipment, a Reuters witness said.

Probe blast Moroccan Marrakech

Forensic teams were scouring the scene for attack indices Morocco has launched an investigation into a bomb on a cafe in Marrakech that left 14 people dead including 11 foreigners.

More than 20 others were injured, some seriously, when the explosion wracked coffee from Agana to Djemaa el - Fna square, a popular tourist spot.

Nationalities of the foreign victims have not been confirmed, but medical sources said at least six are French.

An official of Marrakesh said that a suicide bomber could have caused the explosion.

So far, no group said it carried out the attack.

The UK Foreign Office is investigating reports one of the victims was British.

Some earlier reports had put the number of dead at 15.

The last serious attack in the Morocco is in Casablanca in 2003, where 45 persons, including suicide bombers - were killed.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy "heinous, cruel and cowardly" attack of the mark, its sad Office.

Mr Sarkozy spoke by telephone to King Mohammed IV, who ordered a "rapid and transparent investigation" when he presided over a Council of Ministers at the royal palace in Fez.

Taib Cherkaoui Moroccan Interior Minister would not confirm reports of a suicide attack, but added: "I can assure you that we continue to fight terrorism with all legal means." The criminals involved in this Act will be brought to justice. ?

Minister of Moroccan Communications Khalid Naciri told the AFP news agency "it was an act of terrorism" and that the country would react "with care".

He said "Morocco is confronted by threats of same as in May 2003,".

Said police checkpoints had been set up at the entrance of the main cities of the Morocco. French intelligence and the fight against terrorism experts are to travel to the former French colony Friday, said the officials in Paris.

Witnesses described hearing a huge explosion just before noon Thursday that sent debris flying in the square.

"A woman was blown in the air, and I saw a completely disfigured man," a student told the French AFP news agency.

"Then I saw a girl of 14 or 15 years, she was also disfigured. "The three were foreign," he said.

Promised reforms.

A large part of the facade of the two-storey cafe was stunned and passers-by organs of rubble and has tried to extinguish the flames with fire extinguishers, witnesses said.

Morocco has remained relatively calm in the middle of recent disturbances in North Africa and of the Arab world, but the King has promised constitutional reforms following several peaceful demonstrations in large part in the two months.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said personal UK consular had been sent to provide assistance to British nationals.

He said it was aware of reports in the French newspaper Le Figaro that one of the dead was British, but could not verify the information.

Djemaa el - Fna square is a site of Unesco's world heritage popular with foreign tourists, particularly Europeans.