A story of a kind that's all too familiar in the Middle East. Last Friday night, an altercation broke out between two motorists in the streets of Rabat, right in front of the parliament building. In the ensuing scuffle, one of the motorists (a local doctor) was injured.

The police swiftly arrested the other man, who then got on the phone to his father – Khalid Naciri, the Moroccan minister of communication.

The minister duly arrived on the scene and ordered the police to let his son go. The police were at first reluctant but the minister reportedly warned them: "Release my son or I'll do what's necessary." 

After the son's release, negotiations continued throughout the night, according to al-Massae newspaper [in Arabic], and the injured doctor agreed not to pursue the case.

The short video clip above, posted on YouTube, shows protesting bystanders.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 28 May 2010.