The Massacre of April 7, 1947 (popularly in ''darbat saligan'' 'Strike of the Senegalese,' more officially: 'Massacre of April 7' or 'Events of April 7') was a massacre of working-class Moroccan civilians in

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

committed by Senegalese Tirailleurs in the service of the

French colonial empire The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that exist ...

. The attack was instigated by the French authorities in an attempt to disrupt the visit of Sultan

Muhammad V Mohamed V may refer to: * Al-Mu'tazz, sometimes referred to as ''Muhammad V'', was the Abbasid caliph (from 866 to 869). * Muhammed V of Granada (1338–1391), Sultan of Granada * Mehmed V (1848–1918), 39th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire * Mohammed ...

to the Tangier International Zone to deliver the Tangier Speech demanding the independence of Morocco and the unification of its territories.

History

In the days leading up to the sultan's speech, French colonial forces in

, specifically Senegalese ''Tirailleurs'' serving the

, carried out a massacre of working class Moroccans. The massacre lasted for about 24 hours from 7–8 April 1947, as the ''tirailleurs'' fired randomly into residential buildings in working-class neighborhoods, killing 180 Moroccan civilians. The conflict was instigated in attempt to sabotage the Sultan's journey to Tangier, though after having returned to Casablanca to comfort the families of the victims, the Sultan then proceeded to Tangier to deliver the historic speech. April 7 Plaza () in is named in memorial of the events.

References

{{coord missing, Morocco 1947 in Morocco Casablanca History of Morocco Massacres in 1947 Massacres committed by France Working class in Africa Massacres in Morocco