Morocco's opposition parties have urged the government to open dialogue with young protesters to defuse tensions after two days of demonstrations and dozens of arrests.
The protests, driven by a 'leaderless' group of young organisers calling themselves "GenZ 212," swept across cities from Casablanca to Marrakesh at the weekend.
Thousands of demonstrators, many of them in their teens and twenties, demanded jobs, better schools, functioning hospitals, and greater social justice.
By Sunday evening, unrest had continued for a second day, marking one of the most significant protests the country has faced in years.
While the government had faced widespread anti-normalisation protests over the past two years, which largely proceeded without major arrests, the Gen Z protests were met with a more forceful response.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) reported more than 100 arrests in Rabat alone, with dozens more detained in other cities.
Most were later released, but opposition parties condemned what they described as excessive force.
The protests come as Morocco heads toward parliamentary elections in 2026, organising the Africa Cup (AFCON) in December, and co-hosting the World Cup in 2030.
Opposition parties' reactions
The Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), which once led the government before being ousted in 2021, laid full blame on the current authorities for "deteriorating social conditions."
The PJD accused officials of indulging in "self-satisfaction and inflated figures that have no echo in citizens' daily lives," warning that ignoring the protests would erode trust in institutions.
The party called on young people not to turn away from politics, but to participate in the next elections to "defend democracy and dignity."
Meanwhile, the Socialist Unified Party, from which several members were arrested and later released, suggested it could boycott the 2026 vote altogether, saying the weekend's arrests "took us back to years we thought we had left behind."
"After parties were weakened, and civil society emptied of its real roles, these young people were forced to self-organise," said Nabila Mounib, a renowned politician and MP in the Socialist Unified Party, who joined the protest in Casablanca.
"They are not against the system; they are against the injustices of daily life."
The protesters carried placards reading "health before football," in a direct jab at Morocco's multibillion-dollar spending on World Cup hosting plans, compared to its "underfunded schools and hospitals."
Those are the same young people who flooded the streets in celebrations in December 2022 after Morocco's Atlas Lions qualified for the semifinals during the Qatar World Cup.
Today they're chanting:"We don't want a World Cup, we want a [functioning] health system."
Public outrage has grown in recent weeks after reports that eight pregnant women died at a public hospital in Agadir, a large coastal city 300 miles south of Rabat.
Many demonstrators cited the incident as an example of the country's deepening inequalities.
At the recently renovated Mohamed V Stadium, reopened ahead of the AFCON, Wydad ultras—one of Casablanca's largest fan clubs—voiced Sunday similar demands, chanting, "No education, no health, no resources."
Unlike the city protests, the fans were not met with arrests or police intervention during the match.
Officials have denied prioritising World Cup spending over public infrastructure, saying problems facing the health sector were inherited from past governments.
The "Gen Z 212" is largely coordinated online via Discord, a digital platform more often used by gamers than protesters. It has also expanded onto Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube, where it hosts debates and recruits volunteers for content creation.
Its Discord server, named after Morocco's phone code (212), now has more than 9,000 members.
The group denies links to political parties or foreign inspirations, such as similar Gen Z-led protests in Nepal.
It says its demands are limited to reforms in education, health, employment, and the fight against corruption, and stresses it is not opposed to the ruling system.
Gen Z: a generation in crisis
Morocco's Generation Z – those aged 15 to 29 – number about 8.2 million, nearly a quarter of the population. Including those up to 34, young people account for almost 30% of Moroccans.
But they are struggling to find work. Official figures show the national jobless rate was 13.3% last year, but reached 36.7% among those aged 15 to 24 and nearly 48.4% in cities.
Among 25- to 34-year-olds, unemployment stood at 26.2% in urban areas.
A report by the Economic, Social and Environmental Council found that 4.3 million Moroccans are neither in work, education, nor training – including 1.5 million aged 15 to 24.
It also highlighted the 250,000 students who leave school each year without qualifications or job prospects.
The government, which faces elections in 2026, has promised to create one million jobs over five years but has largely relied on temporary schemes such as "Forsa".
Economic growth has averaged around 3% in recent years, far below the 6% target set by the country's own development model.
This is not limited to Morocco.
From Nepal to Madagascar, GenZ-led protests have erupted over different incidents; however, it seems to be powered by one common force: young people who are furious over a lack of jobs, rampant corruption, and rising economic inequality.
Calls for dialogue
In Morocco, opposition figures and rights groups have warned that ignoring the concerns of young people could have serious consequences.
"These young people are asking for a decent life. They are saying: we don't want to board death boats, sink into drugs, or think of suicide. We want jobs, schools, and dignity," argued Mounib.
Several Moroccan celebrities, including presenters on state television, have also voiced support, urging the government to listen to protesters' demands as they fall within citizens' constitutional rights.
The anonymous organisers of "GenZ 212" said in a Facebook post on Sunday night that demonstrations would continue on Monday, with locations to be announced later.