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
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