Public reacts to tragic death of Raja female supporter, as family mourns avoidable death

The funeral for Nora, a female Raja club supporter who tragically died during their last match versus Al-Ahly in Casablanca, was marked by sadness and regret as Moroccans mourned her premature, “avoidable” loss.

In the absence of Raja Club representatives, who sent condolences via Facebook, dozens of residents, including the young woman’s neighbors, relatives, friends, and Raja supporters, flocked to her home in the city of Mohammedia to express their condolences and accompany her body to its final resting place.

The victim’s relatives told Hespress reporters present at the funeral that Nora’s body was “covered in bruises.”

Various areas of Nora’s body had injuries seemingly caused by kicks, due to the stampede at the entrances to the Mohammed V compound.

Although the family has not yet received an autopsy report, everyone Hespress AR has spoken to confirmed that the death was caused by the stampede and chaos that ensued yesterday.

Mehdi El Alami, one of the victim’s relatives, confirmed in a statement to Hespress AR that “although her features were recognisable, bruises covered the body from head to toe.”

Emerging discourse 

The tragic death was met with ample discourse on social media, as citizens attempt to grapple with the tragedy.

On Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, people are demanding answers while others have started a new conversation about “why women shouldn’t be in stadiums.”

As many Moroccans voiced their grief on social media after learning about the tragic death, for which no official cause has yet to be given, authorities have initiated an investigation under the direction of the Public Prosecution to determine the circumstances and specifics of the incident.

Many fans present at the scene confirm that Nora died as a result of the stampede at the stadium entrance.

As a result of multiple videos showing Raja fans swarming the Mohamed V stadium and aggressively assaulting each other to enter the venue going viral, many Moroccans utilized social media to advocate for stronger security at similar events in order to prevent further fatal catastrophes from happening.

However, when a woman is the victim of such tragedies, aggressive misogyny still rages on social media.

The tragedy, according to a group of pious Moroccans who reside overseas, is “the best argument from which women should never be at football stadiums.”

The MREs blamed Nora’s death on her “brothers and father” for not “protecting” her as “Muslim men” and for not stopping her from going to a busy area “filled with men” on Twitter as the country mourned the loss of the 29-year-old girl.

Outside the online community of “appalled” fundamentalists, some Moroccans blamed Casa Events, the organization that hosted the event, for the poor planning that led to the tragedy as well as the absence of security personnel and the irate crowds that continued to cause chaos.

One of Nora’s closest friends said the Raja fanatic always attended games to cheer on her beloved team.

Read Also: 29-year-old woman dies near stadium during Raja and Al-Ahly game