RABAT/CAIRO, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Widespread youth-led demonstrations across Morocco last week have underscored growing frustration over economic disparities and inadequate public services, despite the country’s high-profile investments in infrastructure ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
The protests mark the most extensive civil unrest since the 2011 Arab Spring and the most intense since the 2016 Rif movement. They reflect mounting dissatisfaction among young citizens who feel excluded from the benefits of national development.
Demonstrators have voiced urgent calls for improved healthcare and education, often contrasting the speed of stadium construction with the deteriorating state of public hospitals and schools. In Agadir, a southern coastal city, outrage erupted after eight women died during childbirth at a local hospital, prompting chants of “We don’t want the World Cup—healthcare first.”
Naji Achoui, a 24-year-old medical student who participated in a rally near parliament in Rabat, described working in an emergency department lacking essential diagnostic tools like CT scanners. “I witness vulnerable people suffering daily due to the poor conditions in state-run medical facilities,” he said.
Official statistics show poverty rates have nearly halved over recent years, and GDP is projected to grow at 4.6% this year, up from 3.8% in 2023. S&P recently upgraded Morocco to investment-grade status, recognizing its diversified economy. Yet, many citizens argue that growth has not translated into equitable improvements in living standards.
A report by CESE, Morocco’s economic and social advisory body, revealed that 25% of individuals aged 15 to 24 are neither employed nor enrolled in education or training programs. Jihane Ratma, a 19-year-old management student from Sale, criticized systemic failures in the education sector. “We oppose violence, but both peaceful demonstrators and those resorting to riots are products of flawed public policies,” she stated.
The mobilization was largely coordinated online by a decentralized group known as “GenZ 212,” referencing Morocco’s international calling code. Using platforms like Discord, TikTok, and Instagram, the collective rapidly expanded its Discord membership from 3,000 to 188,000 within a week.
Initially caught off guard, authorities responded by banning gatherings and deploying law enforcement. However, before shifting toward dialogue, significant damage had already occurred, including the destruction of banks, police stations, and other buildings.
Mohamed Agdid, a former police official, criticized the delayed response: “The government and lawmakers ignored early warnings, leaving security forces to manage the consequences of neglected social issues.”
Rural regions such as Ait Amira, located in a key agricultural zone, experienced particularly severe unrest. Over the past 30 years, its population has surged from 25,000 to approximately 113,000 due to an influx of seasonal farm laborers. Public services have failed to keep pace, unemployment remains high, and informal housing has proliferated. The linguistic shift from Amazigh to Moroccan Arabic further illustrates the cultural transformation under strain. “Ait Amira was a powder keg,” said sociologist Khalid Alayoud.
Public trust in political institutions is also eroding. A survey by the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis found confidence in political parties dropped to 33% in 2023 from 50% the previous year.
In the aftermath, government officials have adopted a more conciliatory stance. Employment Minister Younes Sekkouri acknowledged the legitimacy of protesters’ concerns, while Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, whose resignation some demanded, emphasized dialogue as the path forward.
Many now await a speech by King Mohammed VI during the upcoming parliamentary session. Protest leaders have carefully avoided challenging the monarchy, instead citing a 2017 royal address in which he urged public officials to either fulfill their duties or step down.
— news from Reuters
— News Original —
Youth-led unrest exposes cracks in Morocco’s economic model
RABAT/CAIRO, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Youth-led unrest that spread across Morocco last week revealed deep-seated anger over poverty and public services behind a storyline of ambitious infrastructure projects and modern stadiums opening ahead of the 2030 World Cup. n nSign up here. n nThe unrest was the most widespread since the 2011 Arab Spring protests, which prompted King Mohammed VI to devolve some powers to parliament. It was also the most violent since the 2016 protests in the Rif region. n nThe protests expose a challenge for authorities as they try to maintain order and the pace of economic development while burnishing Morocco ‘s international image ahead of the World Cup, to be co-hosted with Spain and Portugal. n nDEMANDS FOR BETTER HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION n nMorocco has set itself apart from other non-oil Arab economies by pouring billions into roads, rail, ports, renewable energy and manufacturing. n nPoverty has been cut almost in half, according to the country ‘s statistics agency, and living standards in parts of the northwest coast rival Europe. n nCentral bank data projects GDP growth of 4.6% this year from 3.8% last year. Last month, S&P credit rating agency gave Morocco, one of Africa ‘s most diversified economies, a coveted “investment-grade” label. n nBut protesters complain that the prosperity has not been evenly distributed. Their main demands have been better healthcare and education, often drawing an explicit comparison to the rapid pace of tournament preparations. n nOne refrain – “We do not want the World Cup. Health first” – was deployed at a hospital in the southern coastal town of Agadir last month after eight women died there in childbirth. n nNaji Achoui, a 24-year-old medical student who joined a demonstration outside Morocco ‘s parliament in Rabat, said he was motivated by working in an emergency room that lacked basic equipment such as a CT scanner. “I see poor people suffering every day because of the dire conditions in public hospitals,” he said. n nResearch from CESE, the country ‘s economic and social council, last year found a quarter of Moroccans between 15 and 24 years old are not in education, employment or training. n nJihane Ratma, 19, who studies management in Sale, near Rabat, pointed to the school system ‘s failures. “We reject violence, but both the youth that protest peacefully and those engaging in riots are all victims of public policies,” she said. n nPROTESTERS MOBILISE ONLINE n nReactions to the protests suggest officials were initially wrongfooted. At first, rallies were banned and police thwarted attempts to gather. n nBy the time authorities pivoted to engagement, hundreds of cars and dozens of buildings, including banks and a police station, had been ransacked or torched. n n”The government and members of parliament buried their heads in the sand, leaving the security forces to deal with the fallout of failed policies,” Mohamed Agdid, a retired police official, told Reuters. n nThe confusion was likely compounded by the anonymous character of the group calling itself “GenZ 212” – a reference to Morocco ‘s dialing code – which mobilised protesters online using gaming app Discord, TikTok and Instagram. n nMembership in its Discord server surged from 3,000 to 188,000 in just a week. n nPRESSURE ON RURAL AREAS n nThe protests took a particularly violent turn in rural areas such as Ait Amira, an agricultural town in Morocco ‘s southern breadbasket region. n nOver three decades, the population there has more than quadrupled, from 25,000 to around 113,000, as seasonal laborers poured in to work on nearby farms. n nServices have not kept up. Joblessness is rife and illegal construction is booming. Even the language has changed, with Amazigh supplanted by Moroccan Arabic. “Ait Amira was a tinderbox waiting to explode,” Khalid Alayoud, a sociologist and activist, said. n nSuch problems are accompanied by a deepening loss of faith in conventional politics. Trust in political parties dropped to 33% in 2023 from 50% a year earlier, according to a survey by the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis, a think tank. n nSince the violence calmed, officials have struck a conciliatory tone. Employment Minister Younes Sekkouri acknowledged the “sincerity” of the protesters ‘ demands, and Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch – whose resignation many protesters demanded – said dialogue was the only path forward. n nMany are waiting to see what the king will say when he addresses parliament ‘s opening this month. Protesters have steered clear of red lines, including the monarchy. n nIn one statement, GenZ 212 quoted a 2017 speech by the king in which he admonished officials to “either discharge your obligations fully or withdraw from public life.” n nWriting by Ahmed El Jechtimi and Alex Dziadosz; Editing by Aidan Lewis