Marrakech – Morocco’s youth-led protests have entered their sixth day amid mounting tensions between demonstrators and authorities. The movement, known as GenZ212, has shaken the country since Saturday, September 27, with demands for improved public services in healthcare, education, employment, and housing.
Transparency Maroc issued a statement on Wednesday condemning what it called the intimidation tactics used by authorities against peaceful protesters.
“Transparency condemns the intimidation with which the public authorities treat the peaceful demonstrations of young people and demands their unconditional release,” the organization stated.
It also demanded “the identification and arrest of the troublemakers who infiltrate their ranks to demonize them and justify the prohibition of peaceful demonstration and their arrest.”
The protests began peacefully but devolved into violence on Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday. Three people died in Laqliaâ, near Inezgane-Aït Melloul, when gendarmes opened fire on a group attempting to storm a Royal Gendarmerie barracks to seize weapons and ammunition. The official statements assert that the gendarmes acted in self-defense.
According to Interior Ministry data released Wednesday regarding Tuesday night’s violence, rioters torched 142 security force vehicles and 20 private cars. The ministry reported 263 security force members and 23 civilians injured, with 409 people taken into police custody.
Administrative buildings, banks and shops were looted or vandalized in the Souss region cities of Ait Amira, Inezgane, Agadir and Tiznit as well as the eastern city of Oujda.
The violence on Tuesday night was followed by an expansion of unrest on Wednesday night to additional cities including Salé, Marrakech, and Taroudant. Social media platforms became saturated with content about the protests. Every video, reel, and post circulating online addressed the demonstrations, making the protests a dominant topic across digital spaces.
The Interior Ministry reported Thursday 354 injured, including 326 security force members. The clashes caused significant material damage, affecting 271 public force vehicles and 175 private cars.
Authorities documented damage across 23 districts and provinces, with approximately 80 administrative, healthcare, security, and municipal infrastructures vandalized, along with bank branches and commercial establishments.
The ministry also noted that nearly 70% of those involved in violent acts were minors, some carrying knives. Demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails and stones at security forces.
GenZ212 firmly rejects violence, affirming peaceful protest
Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, whom protesters have called to resign along with his government, expressed deep sadness over the deaths during Thursday’s Council of Government meeting. “We deplore the death of three people, peace to their souls,” he declared.
He paid tribute to security forces “who continue to assume their constitutional mission of protecting public security and freedoms.” Akhannouch insisted his government remains receptive to social demands and committed to dialogue.
“The government is open to constructive dialogue within institutions and public spaces. Dialogue remains the only way to overcome challenges and ensure sustainable social justice,” he stated.
The GenZ212 movement, coordinating via Discord, conducted an internal poll today following the violence and deaths. Members voted on whether to continue protests.
A majority supported continued demonstrations in upscale areas and modern squares to avoid confrontations, while a significant minority preferred pausing activities for a day of mourning.
After the poll closed, GenZ212 issued a statement affirming its commitment to peaceful protest. “We confirm to public opinion and authorities that our demonstrations will be entirely peaceful, and we reject all forms of violence or vandalism,” the group declared.
The movement adjusted protest times to 5-8 p.m. and shifted locations to more secure venues, including Place Maréchal in Casablanca instead of Place Sraghna, and Avenue de France in Rabat rather than Place Bab El Had.
In social media posts, GenZ212 clarified it had no quarrel with security forces, only with government policies. The group has maintained that violent elements do not represent its original peaceful philosophy.
Transparency Maroc rejects neoliberal policies worsening inequality
Transparency Maroc’s statement placed the unrest in a broader context. “For years, various political organizations, unions, and human rights defense organizations have been urging successive governments to rectify their brutal neoliberal policies,” the organization noted.
“However, they continue to serve capital by overburdening citizens with the costs of various private sector services and further widening social disparities.”
The organization cited expert estimates showing Morocco loses over MAD 50 billion ($5 billion) annually due to frozen anti-corruption efforts. Those funds could have improved public services, Transparency Maroc argued.
The statement referenced the “hospital of death” scandal in Agadir as evidence of deteriorating healthcare quality in public hospitals. “However, one cannot expect from a government that legislates to protect corruption that it responds to the aspirations of the people and respects the Constitution and the law,” the organization stated.
Transparency Maroc noted that the young protesters have expressed “legitimate demands guaranteed by the Moroccan Constitution and United Nations conventions ratified by Morocco.”
These demands include “the right to quality public services in the health, education, employment, and housing sectors, as well as demands for freedom, dignity, social justice, and the fight against corruption.”
The Interior Ministry confirmed that arrested adults were placed in custody while minors received legal placement measures respecting fundamental rights. Investigations continue under prosecution supervision.
Authorities pledged to rigorously apply the law while protecting constitutional freedoms, warning that any threat to public security would face strict judicial prosecution. They described vandalism and violence as “criminal acts” carrying 10-20 years in prison, extendable to 30 years or life in aggravating cases.
The riots represent Morocco’s most violent demonstrations since 2016-2017, when clashes erupted in the northern Rif region.
The Interior Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday that authorities would uphold the right to protest according to legal procedures and respond with restraint and self-control, avoiding provocation.
Read also: Decades of Rampant Corruption, Unaddressed Disparities Fuel Morocco’s Unrest
