'From Taza to Gaza': Moroccans march for Palestine, and for themselves

On Sunday, Rabat's streets echoed with two cries for justice: one for Palestine, the other for Morocco itself.

By morning, hundreds of thousands of Moroccans had poured into the capital, filling the streets in what has become one of the largest rallies the country has ever witnessed.

The rally, organised by the Moroccan Front for the Support of Palestine and Anti-Normalisation, alongside the National Working Group for Palestine, coincided with the second anniversary of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. 

Participants held banners that read: "Resistance until Palestine is liberated and normalisation is overturned."

Thousands travelled from across Morocco by bus and train to join the march, which started from the historic Bab al-Ahad square, winding past the Moroccan parliament. 

The organisers' reach is rooted in the country's Islamist political movements, and their gatherings have often drawn substantial numbers. 

Alongside the familiar Palestinian flags and keffiyehs, many protesters voiced solidarity with the smaller, emerging "GenZ 212" movement that has faced stricter restrictions.

"Whoever opposes the normalisation, opposes oppression and corruption," read a statement from the Islamist Nosra movement during the rally. "Taza and Gaza are one," it added.

The slogan "Taza before Gaza" has long hovered over Morocco's streets, a refrain deployed by nationalists who supported the normalisation deal or insisted that domestic struggles take precedence. 

But the marchers on Sunday challenged this narrative. 

"You said Taza before Gaza, but when we protested for Taza, you oppressed us," they chanted as they passed the parliament.

Later in the evening, a younger, smaller, and leaderless crowd gathered outside the same building, calling for an end to corruption and demanding investments in a functioning healthcare system rather than the lavish infrastructure planned for Morocco's co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup. 

The group has avoided aligning with other movements, though some sported keffiyehs, a nod to the Palestinian cause that Moroccan youth have been wearing like a uniform since the war began.

Several were dressed in black, mourning three protesters shot dead in Lkliaa, nearby Adouz Oussaoud, an agricultural town known for tomato cultivation. 

Authorities said the victims had attempted to attack security forces to "steal" ammunition, prompting a "self-defensive response."

The Gen Z protesters operate collectively, making decisions through a Discord server with over 10,000 members. 

They call for the government's resignation and accountability for several decisions, including its response to earlier demonstrations, when mass arrests and forceful police action led to waves of violence.

Since then, the protests have remained largely peaceful, with authorities maintaining a limited presence. Organisers emphasised their rejection of violence and commitment to peaceful protests. 

They also submitted a petition to King Mohammed VI, invoking "constitutional provisions" that grant him authority to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet.

"We, the youth of Morocco, who bear the burdens of rising living costs and unfulfilled constitutional rights, turn to you with hope that the royal council will guarantee security and uphold the dignity of our people," it read.

How quake-hit villages' struggles shaped Morocco's Gen Z protests

Meanwhile, placards during the morning demonstration bore the message: "Tents from Al-Haouz to Gaza," in reference to a region still scarred by the 2023 earthquake, where many victims remain in makeshift camps. Relief efforts, victims say, have been insufficient and uneven, leaving families displaced for over two years.

While Gen Z protests and anti-normalisation marches attract national and international attention, the plight of quake victims has often remained marginal in public discourse.

In these mountains, villagers, some dressed in traditional clothing, have marched for months, carrying the sick or injured in makeshift stretchers, to protest the lack of roads, ambulances, and hospitals. 

Their protests, often small and documented in shaky footage, laid the earliest roots of Morocco's ongoing street activism for a functioning healthcare system nationwide.

The National Coordination of Al-Haouz Earthquake Victims has announced plans to take to the streets, once again, due to "the authorities' refusal to respond to our complaints and the continued absence of housing solutions highlight a stark gap between promises and practice," their statement read.

The coordination committee expressed gratitude for the Gen Z movement, noting that its calls for justice echo the similar demands of the earthquake victims.

"The reasons for our protests stem from the daily suffering of the victims, who have lost their homes and possessions and have been denied their right to compensation under flimsy pretexts," said Montassir Ithri, a member of the coordination. 

"Local authorities even refuse to receive the victims' complaints and grievances."

Now, for the first time, these movements—long separate and sometimes pitted against each other—converge in one shared demand: that officials, at last, be held accountable.