Young Moroccans from the collective GenZ 212 staged protests in multiple cities on Saturday for the eighth consecutive day, demanding better public healthcare and education services, according to an AFP photographer and local media reports.
In Tetouan, in the north of the country, hundreds of demonstrators gathered, chanting slogans such as “The people want an end to corruption” and “Freedom, dignity, and social justice,” local media reported.
In Casablanca, dozens of protesters voiced demands for “education and healthcare,” according to the same source.
Meanwhile, in Rabat, about a dozen people gathered outside parliament, observed by an AFP photographer.
These protests, notable for their spontaneity, have been led by GenZ 212 since 27 September. They were sparked by outrage following the mid-September deaths of eight pregnant women after undergoing caesarean sections at Agadir’s public hospital.
On Friday night, hundreds of people protested again in cities including Rabat and Agadir, heeding calls from the collective, whose founders remain anonymous and who describe themselves as a group of “free young people” with no political affiliation.
Between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, violent clashes erupted in several smaller towns following demonstrations.
Authorities reported that three individuals were killed by gendarmes “in self-defence” when they allegedly attempted to storm a gendarmerie post in the village of Lqliaâ, near Agadir, to seize weapons and ammunition.
GenZ 212, which has over 180,000 members on Discord, emphasised the peaceful nature of their protests, rejecting “all forms of violence, riots, or destruction.”
