RABAT, Morocco — What began as peaceful calls for better schools and hospitals has exploded into violent unrest across Morocco, with young demonstrators clashing with security forces for a fourth night in a row.
The protests, driven by a loose online movement calling itself GenZ 212, have spread quickly through TikTok, Instagram and even gaming chats on Discord. The group has no clear leaders, but its demands have struck a chord with many young Moroccans frustrated by poor services and limited opportunities.
On Tuesday, the anger boiled over. In the southern towns of Inzegane, Ait Amira and Tiznit, masked protesters hurled stones at police, torched cars and set banks on fire. Footage shared online showed flames rising from a supermarket entrance as riot police moved in with water cannons.
In Oujda, near the Algerian border, one protester was seriously injured after being struck by a police vehicle, according to Morocco’s state news agency. In Rabat, dozens of youths were arrested before they could begin chanting slogans. “The people want an end to corruption,” demonstrators shouted briefly before being dispersed.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights condemned the arrests. “These detentions are unconstitutional and a threat to freedom of assembly,” said Hakim Saikuk, head of the group’s Rabat branch. Authorities later confirmed that 37 youths had been released on bail pending investigation.
Tensions remain high in Casablanca, where 24 protesters are still under judicial inquiry after blocking a major highway earlier in the week.
The government has struck a cautious tone, saying it is ready to talk. In a statement on Tuesday, the ruling coalition praised what it described as the “measured response” of security forces, while inviting young people to join dialogue “within institutions and public spaces to find realistic solutions.”
The interior ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
For many, the unrest is a stark reminder of Morocco’s simmering generational divide. While officials point to economic growth and stability, young people say they feel left behind. Their anger, fuelled online and spilling into the streets, has left the country facing its most significant youth-led movement in years.
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