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Rabat – Abdelilah Benkirane, Secretary General of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) has urged youth to halt ongoing protests, some of which have escalated into rioting and vandalism across Morocco.
On his Facebook page on Tuesday, Benkirane said demonstrations marked by violence and vandalism could threaten Morocco’s security and stability.
Since last weekend, Moroccan cities have been marked by protests, which started peacefully but were dispersed by police.
A group of young people was arrested, with some being released and others being granted provisional release and fines.
The protests’ goal is to call for better education and healthcare as well as more reforms, seeking to contribute to addressing socio-economic gaps.
Within the first days of this week, the protests escalated into scenes of chaos and violence, with Moroccan cities witnessing multiple clashes with police.
Many videos show protestors throwing stones as well as setting fires in the middle of streets and vehicles. Footage also shows flipped and overturned security service vehicles, as well as property damage.
Benkirane stated that the party expressed its understanding of the protesters’ demands and supported their right to peaceful expression.
“However, the escalation into stone-throwing, targeting security officers, burning vehicles, and attacking public and private property takes the movement out of the framework of social demands and into a realm of security chaos with dire consequences,” PJD quoted Bekirane as saying.
Benkirane emphasized that this situation would strip the protests of legitimacy and could backfire against the very demands they raised.
“Four days have passed since these protests began. During the first three days, the demonstrations remained peaceful, until yesterday, when we were surprised by confrontations with the authorities, including rocks being thrown at police officers who were carrying out their duties as instructed,” Benkirane added.
On Tuesday, GenZ 212, one of the youth-led movements leading demonstrations in Morocco, urged Moroccans to uphold peaceful approaches.
The movement also distanced itself from the riots and vandalism in several regions, calling for protests aiming at reforms.
Violent protests are mainly centered in Morocco’s Souss Massa, especially in Ait Amira and Inzegane, where videos of injured security services and damaged vehicles are viral.
Several cities also witnessed intense protests, including in Oujda and Rabat in addition to Casablanca.
“The movement expresses regret over some acts of vandalism or destruction affecting public or private property and calls on all participants to fully adhere to peaceful methods and avoid any behavior that could be exploited to undermine our legitimate demands,” the statement reads.
