RABAT, Morocco (AP) — King Mohammed VI of Morocco is appealing for fraternity with African nations as rights groups warn of a rise of hate speech in the country following a chaotic final in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Host Morocco was beaten 1-0 in extra time by Senegal in a game Sunday that saw Senegalese players walk off the field protesting a penalty in stoppage time, and fans trying to storm the pitch.
Outraged Senegalese supporters threw chairs onto the field and battled with stewards before police arrived. Eighteen of them were detained and charged with contributing to violence during a sporting event and vandalizing stadium facilities, the public prosecution’s office told The Associated Press. They appeared in court on Thursday and their request for provisional release was denied, lawyer Naima El Guellaf told AP.
After the game's final whistle, the tension shifted from the field to social media. On both sides, content shared by public figures was criticized for reinforcing racial stereotypes. In Morocco, rights groups denounced what they called hate speech targeting sub-Saharan residents in the country.
The Moroccan Association of Human Rights said it has noticed “a serious and worrying resurgence of hate speech and racist practices” following the final.
King Mohammed VI took the unusual step of urging calm on Thursday.
“Nothing can undermine the closeness nurtured over centuries between our African peoples, nor the fruitful cooperation built with the various countries of the continent,” he said in a palace statement. “Morocco is and will remain faithful to the spirit of fraternity, solidarity and respect it has always upheld toward its continent.”
The tumultuous final and aftermath cast a shadow over Morocco's hosting of the tournament and its plans to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Morocco has been extending its influence across Africa, and promotes itself as a regional leader. Rabat invests heavily in West Africa in sectors like banking and telecommunications. The country has opened its ports to landlocked countries, giving them access to the Atlantic Ocean and international trade.
Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced on his Facebook page a visit to Morocco in the coming days. He said that Senegal’s government is closely monitoring the situation of the supporters arrested in Rabat and warned against social media disinformation.
The king said Moroccans should not allow themselves to be drawn into resentment and discord. He added that Morocco’s hosting of the Africa Cup is also an “African success.”
Senegal supporters protest after a controversial penalty was awarded to Morocco late on during the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Youssef Loulidi)
Senegal's Sadio Mane holds the trophy aloft as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Youssef Loulidi)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A vast network of labor unions, progressive organizations and clergy urged Minnesotans to stay away from work, school and stores Friday to protest immigration enforcement operations, even as subzero temperatures beset the state.
Minneapolis and St. Paul have seen daily protests since Renee Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Jan. 7. Federal law enforcement officers have surged in the Twin Cities for weeks and have repeatedly squared off with community members and activists who track their movements.
Organizers said Friday morning that more than 700 businesses across the state have closed for the day in solidarity with the protest -- from a bookstore in tiny Grand Marais near the Canadian border to the landmark Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis.
“We’re achieving something historic,” said Kate Havelin of Indivisible Twin Cities, one of the more than 100 groups that is mobilizing. The demonstration coincides with a blast of cold air hitting the Upper Midwest and ahead of a severe winter storm that is expected to affect millions.
On Friday, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino sought to shift the narrative from that of a 5-year-old boy detained by ICE officers in Minneapolis by attacking the news media for, in his view, insufficient coverage of children who have lost parents to violence by people in the country illegally. After briefly mentioning the 5-year-old during a news conference, he talked about a mother of five who was killed in August 2023.
On Thursday, a prominent civil rights attorney and at least two other people were arrested for their involvement in an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a Sunday service at a church in St. Paul. They remained in federal custody Friday morning.
Organizers hope Friday’s mobilization will be the largest coordinated protest action to date, with a march in downtown Minneapolis planned for Friday afternoon. Earlier Friday, the temperature in Minneapolis was minus 21 with a wind chill of minus 40 (minus 29 Celsius with a wind chill of minus 40 Celsius).
Havelin compared the presence of immigration officers in Minnesota to the winter weather warnings.
“Minnesotans understand that when we’re in a snow emergency … we all have to respond and it makes us do things differently,” she said. “And what’s happening with ICE in our community, in our state, means that we can’t respond as business as usual.”
Somali businesses especially have lost sales during the enforcement surge as workers and customers, fearing detention, stay at home.
Many schools were planning to close Friday, but cited different reasons. The University of Minnesota and the St. Paul public school district said there would be no in-person classes because of the extreme cold. Minneapolis Public Schools were scheduled to be closed “for a teacher record keeping day.”
Clergy planned to join the march as well as hold prayer services and fasting, according to a delegation of representatives of faith traditions including Buddhist, Jewish, Lutheran and Muslim.
Bishop Dwayne Royster, leader of the progressive organization Faith in Action, arrived in Minnesota on Wednesday from Washington, D.C.
“We want ICE out of Minnesota,” he said. “We want them out of all the cities around the country where they’re exercising extreme overreach.”
Royster said at least 50 of his network’s faith-based organizers were joining the protest. About 10 were traveling from Los Angeles while others from the same group planned a solidarity rally in California, said one of the organizers there.
“It was a very harrowing experience,” said the Rev. Jennifer Gutierrez of the large immigration enforcement operation in Los Angeles last year. “We believe God is on the side of migrants.”
Associated Press journalists Jack Brook and Sarah Raza in Minneapolis, and Tiffany Stanley in Washington contributed.
Candles burn around a poem written by Renee Nicole Good during a vigil honoring Good, outside the State Capitol, in St. Paul, Minn., Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, (Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
People visit a makeshift memorial for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
An image depicting Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week, adorns a makeshift memorial for her in Minneapolis, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
Federal agents stand guard, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
