From March 22 to April 1, 1974, Maghrebi workers went on a hunger strike in the Saints-Jean-et-Nicolas church in Schaerbeek to demand the right to work and residence. Members of the French Movement of Arab Workers, committed to the struggle against racism, defending immigrant workers, and improving their working and living conditions, formed the Groupement de Travailleurs Marocains in Brussels. Upon their arrival, they mobilized Moroccan workers and defied the ban on demonstrations at the parvis Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Molenbeek to demand the right to work and protest against the hunt for so-called illegal immigrants. Following a violent intervention by the police, they reaffirmed their determination to defend the rights of workers. On Friday, March 22, three workers began a hunger strike in the church of Saints Jean-et-Nicolas to demand work permits and to mobilize against ongoing police raids, illegal work, and deportations. The tactic of hunger strike was part of a repertoire already performed in France by the Arab Workers at that time. The number of hunger strikers increased until an incident with the Schaerbeek police force sparked public outrage. Despite the formation of a Support Committee and an impressive list of organizations backing the strike, on the orders of the Minister of Justice, the police arrested the twelve hunger strikers on Monday, April 1, and sent them back by charter plane to Morocco and Tunisia. The Committee denounced the inhumanity of the decision and called for the formation of a front, marking the absence of trade union organizations, which underestimated the precarious position of Arab workers. To continue the struggle, three Belgians militants began a new hunger strike at the Béguinage church. Two important demonstrations brought thousands of people together in the streets of Schaerbeek and Anderlecht. Coercive measures will be taken on August 1, 1974; the Ministerial Committee for Economic and Social Coordination decided to halt immigration of non-EU workers and to increase investments in control forces to prevent further uncontrolled immigration. In this package of measures, some 7,470 workers had to be regularized before a full "immigration-stop" could be implemented.