Gen Z protesters rally across Morocco demanding health, education reforms

In what have been described as one of Morocco’s largest antigovernment demonstrations in a long time, hundreds of young protesters have taken to the streets of Morocco in an effort to improve government services and put an end to corruption.

Demonstrators have criticized misplaced national priorities and demanded urgent investment in public health and education.

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The protests, which were organized by a grassroots movement known as GenZ 212, included Agadir, Rabat, Marrakech, and Casablanca.

Nearly 200 people have been detained since Saturday, according to police, who quickly intervened to stop the demonstrations.

Police were seen allegedly seizing demonstrators, forcing a young woman into the backseat of a van in footage shared on the GenZ 212 Facebook account.

According to Hakim Sikouk of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, “Systematic violence has been used] against a group of young people who were peacefully demonstrating.”

“Security forces reacted violently. We condemn these arrests and find it against the law to respond to a group of young people’s social needs.

Opposition parties have urged the government to talk with protesters about better education, employment opportunities, and better schools.

Public service angst

According to analysts, the protests are a response to decades of shoddy public service and urgent reforms in the health and education sectors. The deaths of eight pregnant women at a public hospital earlier this month sparked a lot of outcry.

In a social media video shared online, one protester was heard saying, “Today we came out and demand the rights for my daughter.” The name was not revealed.

“Our time has gone bye without any improvement.” As you can see, the oppressive police are working to detain and detain demonstrators,” he said.

As Morocco prepares to host the Africa Cup of Nations next year and co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, many demonstrators have also criticized the government’s multibillion dollar investment in football infrastructure.

This contrasts sharply with what protesters describe as a public services crisis, according to protesters.

Less than eight doctors per 10,000 people, as stated by the World Health Organization, are in Morocco, which is below the recommended 25.

leaderless and online-driven

Although the GenZ 212 movement only recently started, it is quickly gaining momentum.

It relies on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Discord to mobilise supporters, but does so without political party affiliations or formal connections to any political parties or unions.

The Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis’ director, Mohammed Masbah, described it as a “network,” a decentralized, leaderless, and fluid organization, or as some might say a network.

They are unaffiliated with any political party or union and have no leader. Because they don’t know who they are, that makes it difficult for authorities to negotiate or co-opt them.

The organization demanded “peaceful demonstrations… to express popular demands in regards to health, education, and social justice” on its Facebook page.