Marrakech – Moroccan police arrested 21 young protesters Sunday evening in Casablanca after they blocked the urban highway at the entrance to the Korea district. The demonstration, organized by the “Gen Z 212” movement, caused significant traffic congestion in both directions as authorities responded with force.
Responding to social media calls, dozens of youth – some wearing masks – gathered on the highway. They chanted slogans demanding freedom, social justice, and reforms in the healthcare and education sectors, reflecting growing frustration among Morocco’s younger generation.
The detained individuals have been placed in police custody and will be presented to the prosecutor, according to local authorities. This incident follows larger protests that took place across Morocco over the weekend, where security forces were criticized for their heavy-handed approach.
The protests on the Casablanca highway brought traffic to a complete standstill, creating long lines of vehicles in both directions toward Casablanca and Rabat. Security services and authorities quickly mobilized to the scene, forcibly removing protesters and detaining those they could identify.
The incident is part of broader youth-led demonstrations that have erupted across Morocco in recent days. On Saturday and Sunday, protests were held in multiple cities, including Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, and Souk Sebt.
Over 100 arrests in Rabat; dozens elsewhere
Hakim Sikouk, president of the Rabat section of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH), reported “more than a hundred arrests in Rabat and dozens of others in Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, and Souk Sebt” on Sunday alone.
While most of the 70 young people arrested Saturday in Rabat were gradually released after identity verification, the AMDH noted a pattern of arrests across multiple cities, suggesting a coordinated crackdown on peaceful expression. Human rights advocates have condemned these unusual mass arrests, particularly since demonstrations in Rabat are typically permitted.
Although these interpellations were strongly condemned by the AMDH, other Moroccan human rights groups, and two opposition formations – the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) and the Federation of the Democratic Left – many observers dismissed the opposition’s stance as little more than pre-electoral theater with the 2026 polls looming.
At the same time, critics noted the conspicuous silence of social-media creators and influencers, and also denounced a phenomenon dubbed “zlayjia” – a freshly-coined Moroccan term, derived from “zellij” (Morocco’s traditional tiles), used to describe people who habitually praise the authorities uncritically, flattering and defending them no matter the circumstances.
Many of these figures have even gone further, portraying the movements as illegitimate, dismissing them as incidents of foreign interference rather than genuine domestic dissent.
Observers warn that this narrative is not only dismissive but also dangerous, as it risks stifling real grievances and fueling deeper frustration.
They point to Nepal’s recent experience, where similar attempts to delegitimize youth-driven demonstrations as foreign-influenced only inflamed tensions, eventually sparking widespread unrest and clashes that shook the political establishment.
‘Peaceful and civilized protests’
Two groups – “Gen Z 212” and “Morocco Youth Voices” – called for “peaceful and civilized protests” and responsible debate.
The “Gen Z 212” group launched their call for protests on Discord a few days ago, presenting themselves as “a discussion space” focused on “issues such as health, education, and the fight against corruption” while asserting “their love for the homeland.”
Unlike previous demonstrations organized by unions or political parties, this leaderless movement was coordinated primarily through social media platforms like TikTok and Discord, which are popular among teenagers and young adults.
Witnesses reported that security forces used excessive force in several cities, with plainclothes officers and riot police disrupting gatherings and physically assaulting some protesters.
Social media videos have clearly shown these incidents, even capturing moments where demonstrators were bombarded, beaten, and forcibly dispersed, leaving little doubt about the scale of the repression.
In Rabat, authorities prevented groups of young people from assembling at various points in the city center, where dozens were subsequently detained.
These protests occur in a context of heightened social tension following the recent deaths of eight pregnant women at a public hospital in Agadir who were admitted for cesarean sections.
The incident sparked outrage over the state of public healthcare in Morocco. Following public pressure, the hospital director and several local officials were dismissed, and an internal investigation was launched.
‘Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?’
World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2023 shows Morocco has only 7.7 medical professionals per 10,000 inhabitants, with even fewer in certain regions like Agadir (4.4 per 10,000). The WHO recommends 25 professionals per 10,000 inhabitants.
Protesters have drawn a direct connection between the country’s struggling healthcare system and investments in preparation for hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Demonstrators chanted slogans including, “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?” Morocco is currently building at least three new stadiums and renovating or expanding at least half a dozen others in preparation for co-hosting the World Cup and the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch had previously defended what he called his administration’s “major accomplishments” in the health sector. “We managed reforms, upgraded the spending, and we are in the process of building hospitals in all the country’s regions,” said Akhannouch, who is also Agadir’s mayor.
He claimed that problems facing the health sector were inherited, noting that “the Agadir hospital has been facing problems since 1962.”
After the highway protest, the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights and the Fight Against Corruption issued a statement condemning the demonstrators’ actions, calling it a “serious criminal act” and urging the prosecutor to conduct a swift investigation.
However, many civil society organizations have expressed concern that authorities are criminalizing legitimate protest rather than addressing the underlying social and economic grievances that drove young people to demonstrate in the first place.
Moroccans have been demonstrating outside hospitals in cities and rural towns to denounce the decline of public services, according to local media reports.
On September 14, clashes erupted between police and protesters denouncing the precarious conditions at the Agadir facility, including a lack of equipment and medications.
A week later, two sit-ins at Tiznit, south of Agadir, and in Essaouira were banned by authorities, and about a dozen people, including AMDH members, were detained before being released.
Social inequality remains a major problem in Morocco, primarily affecting young people and women. With those born between 1995 and 2010 making up the largest segment of Morocco’s population, these demonstrations reflect growing discontent among a generation facing limited economic opportunities and inadequate public services.
Until now, neither the government nor its officials have issued any official statement regarding this situation. The organizers, however, pledged more demonstrations despite the crackdowns, including today at 6 p.m.
Read also: The Two Moroccos: Corruption is the Real Enemy, Not the People
