Sahrawi people, backed by representatives of French associations, staged Monday afternoon a rally in Trocadero, in Paris, followed by another outside Morocco's Embassy.

Sahrawi people, backed by representatives of French associations, staged Monday afternoon a rally in Trocadero, in Paris, followed by another outside Morocco's Embassy.

The protesters demanded the "immediate and unconditioned" release of Sahrawi political prisoners, whose trial is taking place in Rabat, as well as the "end of repression" in the occupied Sahrawi territories.

On 8 November 2010, Morocco's security forces violently demolished the camp of Gdeim Izik set up by more than 20,000 Sahrawis, of whom twenty-two were sentenced to heavy prison terms (from 20 years to life).

Paris rally aims at "breaking silence of major media and demanding that the French government changes its policy and no longer support Morocco," according to the organizers.

The rally was staged by the Association of Sahrawis in France (ASF), the Association of Sahrawi Community in France (ACSF), the Platform for Solidarity with the People of Western Sahara and the Association of the Friends of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic