Hundreds of young people protested Friday in several Moroccan cities at the call of GenZ 212, a fast-growing online collective demanding reforms in education and healthcare, and an end to corruption. It was the seventh consecutive day of demonstrations.
Beyond social grievances, protesters called for the resignation of Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch © Mena Today
Hundreds of young people protested Friday in several Moroccan cities at the call of GenZ 212, a fast-growing online collective demanding reforms in education and healthcare, and an end to corruption. It was the seventh consecutive day of demonstrations.
The group, which describes itself as a movement of “free youth” with no political affiliation, has gathered more than 170,000 members on Discord, though its founders remain anonymous. Some observers have not ruled out possible foreign involvement, particularly from Algeria, amid ongoing tensions between the two neighbors.
Beyond social grievances, protesters called for the resignation of Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, whose term ends next fall. Late Thursday, GenZ 212 posted a message addressed to King Mohammed VI demanding the government’s dismissal, later clarifying that the statement was not “final.”
Authorities said they were ready to open dialogue with the movement following clashes earlier in the week. According to officials, three people were killed near Agadir when gendarmes “acted in self-defense” as protesters tried to storm a gendarmerie post.
In Rabat, many demonstrators wore black as a sign of mourning, answering GenZ 212’s call. The European Union on Friday urged calm, saying it “recognizes the importance of youth participation in public life” and called on “all parties to avoid escalation.”
By Simon Groth, Rabat
Spanish authorities should have anticipated the consequences of a court ruling that weakened a key deterrent against illegal migration and contributed to last week's mass crossings into the enclave of Ceuta in northern Morocco, a senior Moroccan official said on Monday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Monday that the EU increase its support to Morocco to help prevent a repeat of the chaotic attempted influx of 50,000 migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta last week.
Moroccan authorities granted provisional release to rapper El Mahdi Lyoubi, known by his stage name Mehdi Black Wind, after three weeks in detention. He remains under prosecution for "offending state institutions," his lawyers told AFP.
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