Gen Z Protesters Clash with Police in Morocco 

Youth-led protests in Morocco calling for better social services and less corruption escalated into violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces on Tuesday night, the fourth consecutive day of unrest across several cities, Reuters reported. 

Participants in the demonstrations – which were organized on social media by a loosely formed, anonymous youth group that calls itself GenZ 212 – chanted slogans calling for better health care and education services, and enhanced employment opportunities.  

Many also criticized the money spent on building stadiums for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. One sign displayed at protests in the capital, Rabat, read, “At least the FIFA stadium will have a first aid kit! Our hospitals don’t,” the BBC added. 

In small cities around the country, including Tiznit, Inzegane, Ait Amira, Oujda, and Temara, demonstrators threw stones at security forces trying to disperse the crowds, according to local media. Footage also shows demonstrators damaging multiple police vehicles, as well as setting a bank alight. Security forces deployed water cannons on the crowds. 

The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) accused officers of physically assaulting protesters and arbitrarily arresting dozens of people – most of whom were later released. The state news agency MAP reported that a protester in the northeastern city of Oujda was severely injured after being hit by a police car. 

GenZ 212 released a statement on Facebook late on Tuesday expressing “regret” over rioting or vandalism that targeted public or private property.   

The group also called on participants to protest peacefully and refrain from behavior that could “undermine the legitimacy of our just demands.”  

The governing coalition released a statement Tuesday expressing its willingness to speak with the youth “within institutions and public spaces to find realistic solutions.” It also praised what it considered the security forces’ “balanced” response, in line with legal procedures. 

These demonstrations are the latest example of so-called Gen Z protests – youth-led, large-scale demonstrations that swept Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Madagascar over the last few months. Even so, anti-government protests in Morocco are relatively rare.