Activists in Morocco are calling for fresh demonstrations this weekend, as a wave of Gen Z-led protests continues despite three deaths and more than 500 arrests since late September. The unrest, dubbed the GenZ 212 movement after Morocco's international dialling code, has seen young people take to the streets to criticise underfunding of healthcare and education amid spending on stadiums for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Among the dead is Abdessamade, a 24-year-old film-maker, who was allegedly killed on 1 October when security forces opened fire on protesters in Lqliâa, near Agadir. Authorities claim he was part of a group that violently stormed a police station, but his brother Ayoub insists he was a peaceful man who had applied to join the police just two days before his death. 'He wanted to serve his country,' Ayoub said.
More than 500 people were arrested in the first six days of protests, according to a document compiled by Moroccan lawyers. Salaheddine Lemaizi, editor-in-chief of Moroccan media outlet Enass, said 272 remain in detention, including 36 minors, while 221 have been released pending trial. 'These mass arrests are clearly aimed at suppressing youth activism and criminalising protest,' he said, adding that some have received sentences of three to ten years.
Mustapha*, 22, who faces up to six months in prison, said he was detained on the second day of protests and held for 48 hours without access to a lawyer or family. 'I went to protest because I’ve seen government violence all my life; not physical, but psychological,' he said. Rapper Hamza Raid, whose viral song Kifa7i has over 10 million YouTube views, is among the high-profile figures arrested and faces a potential prison sentence for allegedly inciting crimes online.
Protesters have organised through the online gaming chat platform Discord, where the GenZ 212 channel now has over 200,000 subscribers. The hashtag #FreeKoulchi ('free everyone') has become a rallying cry. In a speech to parliament, King Mohammed VI called for rapid social reforms but did not address specific demands to tackle corruption or release activists. The Moroccan Organisation for Human Rights has said the freedom to demonstrate peacefully is a fundamental right enshrined in the constitution.
