Morocco Faces Widening Unrest as Gen Z Protests Bad Governance

Protests are sweeping through Morocco again, this time, led by a Gen Z group.  The movement erupted on September 27, 2025, spreading rapidly across multiple cities, from Casablanca and Rabat to Agadir and Tetouan, in what has become the most significant wave of demonstrations since the Arab Spring-era February 20 Movement in 2011.

At least three protesters have been killed and hundreds arrested as security forces attempt to contain the unrest. The most serious clashes occurred in Laliaa, near Agadir, where police opened fire on demonstrators who reportedly tried to storm a police station. Authorities say the protesters were attempting to set fire to the building and steal weapons; while activists have disputed this account, accusing the government of using excessive force.

Despite incidents of violence and looting in some towns, the organisers have repeatedly urged participants to remain peaceful and “respectful of the Moroccan flag, the nation, and King Mohammed VI.”

The protests have stunned observers for their coordination and reach. Mobilised largely on Discord, TikTok, and Instagram, young Moroccans, many in their late teens and twenties, have managed to organise near-simultaneous demonstrations across more than a dozen cities. The rallies usually begin in the evenings and are announced only hours in advance to outsmart police crackdowns.

What Is The Protest About?

At the heart of the movement are deep frustrations over public health and education, two services protesters say have been neglected in favour of prestige projects like football stadiums.

Public anger intensified after eight women died in a hospital in Agadir, reportedly due to inadequate care and poor medical infrastructure. Morocco currently has only 7.8 doctors per 10,000 people, far below the World Health Organization’s recommended 23.

Protesters have circulated a list of demands online that are two-fold: free and quality education for all, accessible public healthcare, decent, affordable housing, better public transport, lower prices and subsidised basic goods, higher wages and pensions, more job opportunities for young people, and English to replace French as the country’s second language

For many, these demands reflect a larger sense of social injustice and government mismanagement. They accuse leaders of prioritising Morocco’s image abroad, notably with preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, over the daily needs of its citizens.

The planned 115,000-seat stadium, expected to be the largest in the world, has become a symbol of the state’s misplaced priorities. “We love football,” said 25-year-old protester Hajar Belhassan, “but we are missing the foundations. Let’s build our education and health systems first.”

A Wave of Protests by Gen Zs Around Africa

The Moroccan youth uprising is part of a growing pattern across the continent, a new generation of Africans demanding good governance, accountability, and dignity.

From Kenya, where the “Gen Z Revolution” in 2024 forced the president to withdraw a controversial finance bill, to Senegal, Uganda, and Madagascar, young people born after the 1990s are increasingly mobilising through digital spaces to challenge entrenched systems of power.

These movements share common traits: they are leaderless, digitally native, and politically unaffiliated, often expressing distrust toward traditional parties and unions. In Morocco, GenZ 212 insists it has no formal structure and no political ambitions, just a determination to expose corruption, poor governance, and social inequality.

Their coordination through Discord mirrors tactics seen in Nepal’s Gen Z protests, highlighting how global youth networks are inspiring one another in real time. Analysts say this signals a transformation of the protest space, one shaped less by ideology and more by a shared digital consciousness.

The Reactions by Leaders

The Moroccan government’s initial silence has fuelled frustration. Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, who leads the Rassemblement National des Indépendants (RNI), finally said he was open to dialogue, but protesters have dismissed this as empty rhetoric.

Ministers responsible for health and education, both close allies of Akhannouch, have come under intense scrutiny. Opposition parties, including the Parti de la Justice et du Développement (PJD) and the Fédération de Gauche Démocratique, have called for urgent reforms and restraint by security forces.

Meanwhile, some government figures have blamed “foreign interference,” suggesting Algerian intelligence services are attempting to destabilise the country ahead of the AFCON tournament, a claim many protesters see as an attempt to deflect responsibility.

King Mohammed VI has yet to address the protests publicly, but his past responses to unrest, notably in 2011, included limited political reforms. Whether a similar gesture will come now remains uncertain as demonstrations enter their second week, the GenZ 212 collective shows no sign of backing down.