Morocco's Gen Z protesters demand accountability and education reform

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CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Refusing to let the coming wave of fanfare around December’s Africa Cup of Nations overshadow their demands, protesters in Morocco urged a boycott of soccer matches at the country’s new stadiums. On Saturday, they reiterated previous demands and called for the release of demonstrators arrested during earlier Gen Z 212 protests.

After an eight-day pause, hundreds of young demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday as part of an effort to show they remained committed to protesting corruption and subpar healthcare and education.

In several cities -- including Casablanca and Tangier -- hundreds of young protesters once again voiced anger at elected officials, demanding the ouster of Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, who they called corrupt.

The protests, smaller in numbers, came eight days after King Mohammed VI in a speech at Morocco’s parliament did not address the Gen Z 212 protests directly. He neither touched on their demands to dismiss Akhannouch nor the stadiums being built for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. He said that national projects and social programs could advance together.

“There should be no contradiction or competition between major national projects and social programs, as both share the same goal: developing the country and improving the living conditions of citizens,” Mohammed VI said in his speech, which many interpreted as an indirect response to protesters who criticized Morocco for prioritizing spending on sports infrastructure over social and economic projects.

Demonstrators on Saturday again chanted, “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?” and in unison called on Morocco to “Boycott the stadiums.”

Protesters told The Associated Press they would boycott the upcoming African Cup of Nations, which Morocco will host in December, in a show of disapproval. Most declined to provide their names out of fear of retribution due to previous arrests at protests.

Angry about disparities between public and private schools, they chanted against politicians who send their kids to private schools rather than the ones their own government oversees.

“I’m done with school and studying, but I’m here demanding reforms for the generations to come,” one protester said, recounting being thrown out of class for not being able to get a needed textbook.

The protests are led by Gen Z 212, a grassroots movement that organizes demonstrations on social media platforms like Discord, an app popular among gamers and teenagers, where they now have more than 200,000 subscribers. It announced protests in more than a dozen cities for Saturday after an eight-day hiatus.

Education is a focal point of their demands, specifically policies designed to expand private school enrollment. Since 2000, the number of students enrolled in private universities has increased more than sixfold, according to government data from 2024.

State audits have documented teacher shortages, regional disparities and transportation problems, particularly in rural areas where government services have long been lacking.

Measures the government has taken to improve education have not produced the desired impact on improving school quality or student retention, according to government audits.

Politicians have pledged to reallocate funds to healthcare and education to accelerate improvements. Finance Minister Nadia Fettah Alaoui said at a World Bank meeting in Washington this week that doing so would be a focus of this year’s government budget.

Morocco’s Gen Z-led protests have drawn inspiration from similar movements in nations like Nepal. After eight women died giving birth in a public hospital in Agadir, a coastal city 296 miles (477 kilometers) from the capital Rabat, they set off a wave of fury that then spread nationwide.

The protests turned violent in some cities and small towns earlier this month. Police forces killed three who they said were attempting to storm one of their posts as many sustained injuries and authorities reported widespread vandalism.

Local media outlets said more 400 people across Morocco were arrested for vandalism linked to protests, some of them held in custody for investigation. And a court in Agadir handed down 17 defendants a total of 162 years for vandalism.