Morocco's Gen Z healthcare protests turn violent as government pledges talks

Youth-led protests demanding better education and healthcare in Morocco erupted into violent clashes with security forces on Tuesday night.

For the fourth consecutive night, young people protested Tuesday under the banner of the online collective 'GenZ 212', a loosely organised movement mobilising mainly through gaming platform Discord.

However, unlike in the past days, protests erupted into violence after protesters clashed with security forces attempting to disperse the crowds. 

The unrest was primarily concentrated in smaller cities. 

In Ait Amira, 560 kilometres south of Rabat, protesters overturned police vehicles and set fire to a bank. 

In Inzegane, masked demonstrators torched another bank, hurled rocks at officers, and vandalised shops, according to local media and videos circulating online.

While in Oujda, near the Algerian border, a protester was seriously injured after being hit by a police van, according to state news agency MAP and rights groups. 

A viral video shows the vehicle speeding through a crowded square. 

In Errachidia, 460 kilometres southeast of Rabat, media reports said several security officers were injured, one critically.

This escalation comes after the arrest of some 200 demonstrators over the past three days. Most were later released, according to the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH).

However, a first group of 37 people, including three who are still in detention. They are set to go on trial from 7 October. Their lawyer, Souad Brahma, said she doesn't know the charges yet. 

Hakim Saikuk, head of the AMDH section in Rabat, condemned the arrests as "unconstitutional".

The protests tap into frustration among Morocco's youth, who make up around a quarter of the population and face a 12% unemployment rate, as well as struggling health and education systems. 

Anger has been fuelled by recent tragedies, including the deaths of several women at a public hospital in Agadir earlier this month.

"GenZ 212", named after Morocco's country code, has grown rapidly since its creation less than two weeks ago. 

Its Discord server now counts over 120,000 members, with region-specific forums. The group's central demands are for functioning healthcare and education systems.

The movement has garnered support from some of Morocco's biggest celebrities, including football stars Yassine Bounou and Azzedine Ounahi, who are set to play home matches this month. 

The team's ultras have pledged to boycott the games in solidarity with the protests.

Government spending on football infrastructure, for the African Cup of Nations in December and the 2030 World Cup, has become a focal point of criticism. 

In Rabat, teenagers held placards mocking the contrast between new stadiums and struggling hospitals. One read: "At least the FIFA stadium has a first aid kit — our hospitals don't."

Officials have denied prioritising sports spending over public services, saying the problems in the health sector were inherited from previous governments.

Despite calls for restraint from the leaderless movement, violence continued on Tuesday night, with videos of burning shops and masked protesters spreading online. 

Hours earlier, the government addressed the protests for the first time, pledging to open dialogue with young people "within institutions and public spaces to find realistic solutions."

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, secretary-general of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), part of the governing coalition, admitted in a separate statement that the government "has not fully succeeded in responding to citizens' expectations," while noting Morocco had made progress compared with previous decades.

"Young people have the right to not vote for us and criticise us," said the politician, referring to the upcoming 2026 elections. 

The protests in Morocco are part of a growing global wave, stretching from Nepal to Madagascar, where Gen Z is protesting against corruption and social injustice.

The "Gen Z 212" protests have also drawn comparison with Morocco's February 20 Movement of 2011. 

But unlike that earlier movement, "GenZ 212" insists on independence from political parties and unions. 

When Nabila Mounib, leader of the Unified Socialist Party, joined one of their protests over the weekend, she was criticised for trying to capitalise on the movement.

Former Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, leader of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) and a political rival of Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, initially supported the protests.

After Tuesday's violence, he posted a video urging the movement to clear the streets and condemning the destruction.

In parliament, the governing majority said it would meet on Thursday to discuss reforms to healthcare and hospitals, in a session chaired by PM Akhannouch.

"We urge authorities to engage with the legitimate demands of the youth for their social, economic, and cultural rights and to address their concerns about corruption," Amnesty International's regional office said on Tuesday night.