Protests in Morocco: “We want hospitals, no stadiums”

It started in a state hospital in the city in mid -September Agadir. According to this time, eight pregnant women who were supposed to give birth to their children with a caesarean section were reported. The reason is said to have been poor medical care. The death of women was seen as evidence of grievances in Morocco’s health system. In the North African country, there is generally dissatisfaction with social inequality, which is particularly affected by women and young people.

The dissatisfaction became a movement: At the time of the incidents in the clinic, the group “Gen Z 212” started its server of the same name on the gaming platform Discord. “Gen z” indicates the young age of the members, which mainly belong to generation Z, that is, for example, were born between 1995 and 2010; 212 is Morocco’s international country code.

The anonymous youth movement denounced corruption and called on the server to protests for a better health and education system. After the first smaller demonstrations from September 27, the group decided to organize daily protests from now on.

After that, the movement grew rapidly, now has more than 180,000 members on Discord and is responsible for the greatest demonstrations that the country has seen for years. “The people want an end to corruption” or “freedom, dignity and social justice”, the young people called in the cities of Morocco.

But what started peacefully escalated quickly.

According to its own statements, “Gen Z 212” rejects violence. In the course of the demonstrations, however, violent scenes with hundreds and arrests occurred in several cities. According to official information, dozens of security forces and other cars were set on fire or damaged.

Last Wednesday, three demonstrators died in Lqliaa in South Moroccan near the city of Agadir. They were killed by the gendarmerie in self -defense when they had tried to “storm a police station in the south of the country,” explained Interior Ministry Rachid El Khalfi.

According to the state news agency MAP, the security forces initially fended off the attack with tear gas. But then a larger crowd stormed the guard, set the building and a vehicle on fire and tried to steal weapons, ammunition and equipment.

The lack of prospects of young people in Morocco drives them onto the street. Polls from the International Arab Barometer showed that 55 percent of Moroccans want to emigrate under the age of 30. More than a third of them are unemployed.

All of this contradicts the general development: Morocco is currently the most visited country of Africa and has thus replaced Egypt. The tourism industry and automotive industry are booming, also when using renewable energies, one is one of the pioneers worldwide – and this year expects economic growth of more than four percent. Many people, especially in rural regions, get nothing from it and live in poverty.

All of this is also about football. The 35th Africa Cup will be held in Morocco from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026. Games of the 2030 World Cup also take place in the country. Therefore, one of the slogans of the Moroccan demonstrators is currently: “We want hospitals, no stadiums.”

In the run -up to the tournaments, Morocco is more than two billion euros in the construction of football stadiums and the modernization of sports facilities. Against this background, many young people feel neglected by the state. The Moroccans are known as football, but these days it becomes clear that better schools, modern hospitals and affordable apartments are more important to them. The pressure on Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch is therefore growing. “Gen Z 212” has already asked him to resign.

The “Forbes” magazine estimates Akhannouchs for two billion dollars, so he is the most second-rich man in the country. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy, since 1999 King Mohammed VI has been. As head of state and is considered Islamic authority. The parliament is elected by the people.

“Gen Z 212” assured that the protests could not be seen as a criticism of the system. “We are only concerned with this government and its politics,” says an explanation. “The criticism of the situation should not be confused with a rejection of the nation.” In response to the protests, Prime Minister Akhannouch has now agreed to “dialogue” and an “open debate” with the demonstrators. So far, nothing is known about a pronunciation.

The situation in Morocco can be compared to the recent protests in Nepal (the star reported). Here, too, more than 150,000 young people organized the discord platform-because of a social media ban. And there were also riots with fatalities.

It is noteworthy how supposedly harmless activities in digital space shift into real life and have political influence. If the protests stop in Morocco, you could force the government to act.

Sources: “”, “”, “”, “”, News agencies AFP and dpa