Mass protests in Morocco have continued for the sixth day on Friday, driven by the youth-led movement GenZ 212, which is calling for the government’s removal.
The protests gained momentum following reports last month of eight pregnant women dying at a public hospital in the southern city of Agadir.
GenZ 212, whose key organisers have not been identified, relied largely on the online messaging platforms, including TikTok, Instagram and the gaming application Discord to organise demonstrations.
“Moroccan youth are taking to the streets to call for functioning hospitals, quality schools and decent jobs. They’re rejecting billions being spent on stadiums for the World Cup, while basic services are collapsing,” a researcher and secretary general of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, Tahani Brahma, told journalists, noting that “Most importantly, Moroccan youth do not want promises, they want their rights.”
On Wednesday, security forces fired on protesters in Leqliaa, a small town near the southern city of Agadir, leaving three people dead.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry said the three people were killed while attempting to seize police weapons, a claim that witnesses have not confirmed.
Moroccan Association for Human Rights reported that the protests have left hundreds injured, and around 1,000 people have been arrested since the protest started on September 28.
Meanwhile, the interior ministry said more than 400 young people had been arrested since the protest started, adding that 80 public and private buildings as well as hundreds of cars had been vandalised.
The group accused the government of failing to uphold citizens’ constitutional rights and address essential social needs, calling for the government’s removal in a constitutional provision that grants the king authority to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet.
GenZ 212 has also demanded the release of everyone detained over what it describes as peaceful demonstrations, while continuing to emphasise that it does not endorse the violence and vandalism reported in various towns and cities.
Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, leader of the National Rally of Independents, held a meeting on Tuesday with coalition partners Fatima Zahra Mansouri, Mohamed Mahdi Bensaid, and Nizar Baraka.
“After reviewing the developments linked to youth expressions in online and public spaces, the government affirms that it listens carefully to and understands the social demands.
“We are ready to respond positively and responsibly through dialogue and discussion within institutions and public forums, and by finding realistic, implementable solutions that serve the interests of the nation and citizens,” they all said in a communique.
Health Minister Amine Tehraoui told parliament on Wednesday that several reforms are in progress but admitted they remain inadequate to fully address the sector’s shortcomings.
Through chants like “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?” and placards, protesters have drawn attention to the billions being invested in preparations for the 2030 World Cup, contrasting it with the severe underfunding and poor state of many schools and hospitals.
Last October, Morocco was selected alongside Portugal and Spain to host the 2030 centenary World Cup, with six venues designated in Morocco, three in Portugal, and 11 in Spain.
Expenditure on building new stadiums and upgrading existing ones for the World Cup and the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations is projected to surpass €5 billion.
With Morocco set to host the Africa Cup of Nations later this year and parliamentary elections approaching in 2026, growing attention is being focused on the country’s stark economic inequalities.
While Morocco has seen recurring peaceful protests over economic and social conditions, this week’s unrest marks the most violent demonstrations since 2016–2017, when clashes erupted between protesters and security forces in the northern Rif region.
Morocco has now joined the growing list of countries where Gen Z-led protests have emerged in recent weeks.
The ICIR reported in September that the wife of former Prime Minister of Nepal, Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, was killed in violent Gen Z protests sparked by a social media ban after Monday’s killing of 19 people.
The protests began on September 8 when thousands of young people stormed the city, wielding weapons and setting ablaze the Supreme Court, the Attorney General’s office, the Prime Minister’s residence, Parliament, and several homes of politicians.
Barely two weeks after the Nepal protest, the police in Madagascar had to declare a dusk-to-dawn curfew after violent protests by Gen Z on September 26, sparked by recurring power outages and water shortages.
In Antananarivo, hundreds of mostly young protesters took to the streets, but the demonstration was forcefully broken up as police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.