العدد 31

Abstract This paper examines the shifting dynamics of engagement with the Palestinian cause within the Moroccan public sphere in the context of the events of 7 October 2023. This analysis takes place against a political backdrop characterised by a resurgence of authoritarianism and the normalisation process initiated by the Abraham Accords in 2020. The study is centred around the hypothesis that the closure of the political system and the restriction of traditional channels of expression have compelled youth—specifically football fan movements (Ultras)—to innovate alternative spaces for resistance. These spaces have emerged as crucial venues for supporting protests against the aggression on the Gaza Strip. Methodologically, the paper employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), as formulated by Norman Fairclough, to examine the content of fan chants and songs. Additionally, the study surveys and analyses street art and graffiti, viewing them as forms of contestation over urban space. The paper concludes that these groups have successfully circumvented official censorship and governmental silence to support protests against the aggression on Gaza. By transforming stadiums and city walls into open platforms for condemning the aggression and rejecting normalisation, they have provided a counter-narrative to the official discourse and revived values of resistance within the Moroccan street through novel artistic and mass protest tools. Keywords: Palestinian cause, protest, Ultras, hidden resistance, graffiti.

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