Skip to main content

Generation Z Shakes Morocco: Social Protests Poised to Snowball

On September 27 and 28, major Moroccan cities—including Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, and Meknes—witnessed an unprecedented wave of protests. The spark came from Discord, where a newly formed digital collective calling itself “Generation Z… Voice of Moroccan Youth” issued calls to action. Within days, thousands of young people mobilized, demanding better public education, improved healthcare services, and real employment opportunities in a country where youth unemployment has reached record highs.


Heavy Police Crackdown and Mass Arrests

Authorities responded swiftly and forcefully. Widely shared videos on social media show a massive deployment of security forces across streets and public squares, as well as the arrest of dozens of demonstrators, including political activists and journalists.

Among those detained was Farouk Mahdaoui, a senior member of the Democratic Left Federation, who was taken into custody in front of the Parliament in Rabat while cameras rolled.

The Moroccan Committee for the Support of Political Prisoners (Hemm) expressed “deep concern” over what it described as “authoritarian interventions” against peaceful gatherings, denouncing excessive use of force and calling for the immediate release of all detainees and full respect for the right to protest.

Left-Wing Parties Suspend Dialogue with the Government

In response to the crackdown, the Democratic Left Federation announced it was suspending participation in consultations for the upcoming parliamentary elections until “a healthy political climate that guarantees fundamental freedoms” is restored.

In a statement, the party condemned how “the streets were turned into arenas of pursuit and assault, where calls for freedom, dignity, and social justice were met with batons and brute force.” Its youth wing reported that several of its members, including its national secretary, were arrested “under arbitrary and vindictive circumstances.”

Deep-Rooted Social Grievances

Journalist Ali Anouzla argues that these demonstrations stem from longstanding discontent dating back to the harshly repressed 2017 Rif Movement. He also points to recent protests over collapsing hospital services, rising prices, rural water shortages, and the near-weekly marches against Morocco’s normalization of relations with Israel.

This mounting unrest, he notes, contradicts the official narrative voiced by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, who recently claimed that “Moroccans are happy with the government’s achievements.” Anouzla warns that ignoring these demands—especially ahead of King Mohammed VI’s upcoming address to Parliament—“risks turning this nascent movement into a true snowball that will be impossible to stop.”

Generation Z: Digital Natives Turned Protest Leaders

Born between 1997 and 2012, Generation Z has grown up immersed in social media, which they view as an extension of their identity. The same profile has made them decisive actors in protest movements in countries such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and France.

In Morocco, their ability to organize quickly online and drive narratives in public space is challenging traditional methods of state control.

Uncertain Future for Morocco’s Monarchy

These protests unfold amid rising internal tensions, including rumored rivalries within the security apparatus and reports of friction involving the king’s influential adviser Fouad Ali El Himma. At the same time, Morocco’s foreign policy—particularly its normalization with Israel and perceived tepid stance on the war in Gaza—has fueled popular resentment.

If repression continues and social demands remain unmet, this movement—still small but highly symbolic—could expand beyond a youth-led protest to become a broad social uprising capable of reshaping Morocco’s political landscape in the years ahead.

By Belgacem Merbah


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Origin of the Caftan: Algeria Responds in the Language of Heritage

Avoiding direct polemics or loud declarations, Algeria has opted for heritage diplomacy and UNESCO procedure to respond—indirectly—to Moroccan claims over the origin of the caftan. At the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (New Delhi, 8–13 December), Algiers emphasized confirmations and updates to elements inscribed since 2012, reinforcing its reading: the caftan is an authentic element of Algerian cultural identity, recognized within UNESCO’s framework. A Procedural Argument Elevated to Cultural Diplomacy In a statement published on 11 December via official channels, the Ministry of Culture and the Arts hailed “a new victory” for Algerian cultural diplomacy . Without departing from institutional sobriety, its communication stressed two core points: Inscription precedents : According to Algiers, the caftan appears in national files recorded since 2012, notably within the recognition of Tlemcen’s traditional herit...
Post a Comment
Read more

Madrid, February 2026: A negotiating sequence that further complicates Rabat’s hand

The consultations held in Madrid on the Western Sahara dossier—under direct U.S. stewardship—signal a qualitative shift in how the file is being managed: Washington is increasingly setting the pace while the United Nations recedes to an observer role, according to convergent coverage from Spanish, regional, and international outlets.  1) An unprecedented framework: Washington “leads,” the UN observes Multiple reputable outlets report that on February 8, 2026 , a closed‑door meeting took place inside the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, gathering four high‑level delegations—Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario Front—with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura present more as an observer than as the driver, while U.S. officials Massad Boulos (special representative for Africa) and Michael Waltz (U.S. ambassador to the UN) ran point. The Madrid session followed a first, secret 48‑hour contact in Washington roughly two weeks earlier—an unmistakable sign that the U.S. has moved from “facilitator...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Sand War of 1963: Algeria, Newly Independent, Already Forced to Defend Its Sovereignty

In the summer of 1962, when the guns of the Algerian War of Independence finally fell silent, it was not merely the end of a conflict. It was the rebirth of a nation. After 132 years of colonial domination, dispossession, and resistance, Algeria emerged free, sovereign, and determined to reclaim its place among the nations of the world. The cost of that freedom had been immense. Hundreds of thousands of Algerians had sacrificed their lives so that future generations could inherit an independent homeland. The young Republic inherited a devastated country, a shattered economy, and institutions that had yet to be built. Yet it also inherited something far more powerful: an unbreakable national spirit forged through years of struggle and sacrifice. The Algerian people hoped that independence would usher in an era of reconstruction and unity. Villages were rebuilding. Families were mourning their martyrs and welcoming home former prisoners, exiles, and freedom fighters. The nation was looki...
Post a Comment
Read more