Youth-led protests across Morocco turned markedly more violent on the fourth consecutive night of unrest, authorities said on Wednesday, reporting injuries to 263 members of the security forces and 23 civilians as cars were torched and shops ransacked.
The demonstrations began on Saturday and have swelled nightly, driven by online calls from a loosely organized, anonymous collective calling itself “GenZ 212,” which has used TikTok, Instagram and Discord to mobilize supporters demanding better education and healthcare.
On Tuesday night, groups of youths carried knives and hurled Molotov cocktails and stones, the Interior Ministry said. Police detained 409 people. Administrative buildings, banks and stores were looted or vandalized in the Souss region—Ait Amira, Inezgane, Agadir and Tiznit—as well as in the eastern city of Oujda, the ministry added.
GenZ 212, in social media posts, said it rejects violence and intends to continue peaceful demonstrations, adding that its dispute is with the government, not the security forces.
According to the ministry, 142 security vehicles and 20 private cars were set ablaze. While Morocco has seen recurring peaceful protests over economic and social conditions, this week’s turmoil is the most violent since unrest in the northern Rif region in 2016–2017.
The Interior Ministry said it would uphold the right to protest within the law and respond with “restraint and self-control, avoiding provocation.”