Generation Z resumes protests in Morocco to demand reforms
The Moroccan youth movement Generation Z 212 has announced that it will resume its demonstrations next Saturday across the country, calling for better healthcare and education services and the release of prisoners of conscience, following an earlier decision to suspend protests.
The statement urged young people and citizens to take part widely in these demonstrations to achieve what it described as “fair demands”.
In a statement posted on its Discord channel, the movement, which does not disclose the identity of its members, said: “We announce the organisation of peaceful protest gatherings in most cities of the kingdom on Saturday.”
The group emphasised the importance of “the right to quality education and decent healthcare for all”, as well as the need to “combat corruption”. It also called for the “immediate release of all prisoners of conscience detained for participating in peaceful protests”, describing this as a top priority. The movement further mentioned the start of a “product boycott campaign”, without providing further details.
The group’s daily protests, which lasted for nearly two weeks before being suspended last Saturday, were initially banned by the authorities and later permitted. Dozens to hundreds of young people joined demonstrations in several cities, some of which saw clashes with police that resulted in the deaths of three people.
The movement first emerged on Discord in mid-September to discuss issues in the health and education sectors, following the deaths of eight pregnant women at a public hospital in the southern city of Agadir.
The Moroccan government renewed on Thursday its willingness to engage in dialogue with Generation Z 212, while the movement continued to call for the government’s resignation.
In a speech on Friday, King Mohammed VI urged the acceleration of development programmes to create job opportunities for young people and improve healthcare and education services, stressing the need to address regional inequalities.
