CAIRO Ñ Concerned over rising unrest in the kingdom, Morocco has banned pro-Palestinian demonstrations planned for this week.

Authorities have rejected a request to stage a rally in support of the Palestinian struggle against Israel. The demonstration was scheduled to take place in the capital Rabat on Sunday.

Arab diplomatic sources said Morocco's King Mohammed has ordered authorities to prevent any demonstration that could turn into anti-government unrest. The sources said the king and his advisers are concerned that the Moroccan opposition would use pro-Palestinian rallies as a means to spark violence.

The government has been under pressure to investigate corruption as well as allegations of torture during the reign of the late King Hassan.

The request to demonstrate in support of the Palestinians was issued by several groups, including the Moroccan Association for the Support of the Palestinian Struggle. The government initially approved the permit, but security authorities rejected the request.

Later, Prime Minister Abdul Rahman Yusefi said he supports such a demonstration. But a Rabat court rejected the demonstration request. Several of the organizations threatened to ignore the ban and demonstrate on Sunday. The threat has sparked an increased deployment by security forces in the capital.

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