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Moroccan Gen Z Demands Change: From Hashtags to Street Protests
Protests have been taking place in Morocco for several weeks now. Thousands of Moroccans are taking to the streets, from the northern city of Tangier to the southern city of Agadir. The question that arises is whether the protests in Morocco are part of a global wave in which Gen Z youth are trying to reclaim their future, or whether this is a uniquely Moroccan story of social unrest that stands apart from that international trend.
Eight Women Dead in Maternity Ward and Gen Z 212
The wave of demonstrations in Morocco is difficult to pin down to one single cause. Nevertheless, many sources point to the anger that erupted among the Moroccan population over the mysterious deaths of eight women in the maternity ward of a state-funded public hospital in Agadir. The families of these women stated that their loved ones died after spending a week in the hospital following a failed cesarean section.
This led to large demonstrations outside the hospital, where citizens demanded justice and denounced the government’s inadequate healthcare services. These actions sparked a wave of protests in major cities such as Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, and eight other cities, where citizens took to the streets to express their discontent.
The demonstrators are not only focusing on the healthcare system but are also voicing dissatisfaction with the economy, the labor market, public services, and government policies to tackle corruption at various levels of society. Data shows that the largest portion of Moroccans belong to Generation Z (1995–2010), of whom over 25% are unemployed and not attending school.
The Moroccan youth participating in the protest movement Gen Z 212 took the lead in demonstrations across the country. Gen Z 212 is calling for the resignation of what they see as a “corrupt government” and wants government spending to prioritize education and healthcare. This movement shows similarities with Gen Z groups in other countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Madagascar, where young people also protested against corruption and socioeconomic inequality. Although the direct cause of the protests in Morocco is unique, the movement aligns with a broader international trend of youth activism. As elsewhere, the demonstrators are focusing primarily on social and public services, with the Gen Z generation forming the core of the protests.
Hashtag, Amputation, and (More) Deaths
Social media use has played a major role in all of these countries in rapidly mobilizing and informing the wider public, amplifying the reach of the demonstrations. In Morocco, the hashtag #FreeKoulchi—meaning “free everyone”—became popular. This hashtag is named after the activist movement February 20, which has fought for years for a free Morocco without politically motivated arrests. The activist group emerged in 2011, inspired by the Arab Spring demonstrations in neighboring Tunisia, but has since weakened significantly due to fear of persecution.
Communication platforms play a key role online for most Gen Z demonstrations. Mobilization and message dissemination happen on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch—through hashtags and other online content. Because the demonstrations largely take place online, critics are better protected from authorities and can circumvent the government’s traditional power structures.
Youth activism did not remain solely online, however, and soon spilled into the streets of Morocco. After days of peaceful protests, the atmosphere changed on the fourth day, with sudden arrests of more than four hundred people. These demonstrators were removed and detained with excessive use of force. It did not stop there: various news outlets such as Al Jazeera and BBC confirmed with video evidence that at least three people have died following clashes with police. Many demonstrators—ranging from young students to the elderly—were injured due to violent beatings by the police. Verified footage by Amnesty International shows armored police vehicles driving into crowds of protesters. As a result, a young science student has already lost a leg. In some cities, the demonstrations led to vandalism of government buildings, police cars, and shops.
Gen Z 212 condemns both the police violence and the acts of vandalism committed by demonstrators. The group calls for the protests to remain peaceful and urges the government to take their concerns seriously and resign.
Morocco as FIFA Host
The concerns of the demonstrators clash with Morocco’s ambitions on the international stage. Morocco’s international positioning carries greater weight in this context. The country bears the responsibility of hosting the FIFA Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) starting in December 2025, and in the long term, the World Cup in 2030 on home soil. These ambitious commitments have led the Moroccan government to make massive investments in facilities and infrastructure surrounding football stadiums.
Protesters emphasize that the gap between government spending on prestigious sports projects and on basic services such as education, healthcare, and job security is vast. What makes Morocco’s context complex is the national pride surrounding its sports achievements and its ambition to present itself internationally as a host for these major events. These feelings of pride—combined with criticism over the lack of public services—complicate the issue, but also make it unique compared to the broader international Gen Z protest wave.
The president of CAF, the organizer of the Africa Cup, maintains that the tournament will go ahead despite the unrest: “Morocco is plan A, Morocco is plan B, and Morocco is plan C.” The massive demonstrations this month have not been seen in Morocco since the Rif protests of 2016. Those were demonstrations in the Rif region, particularly in the city of Al-Hoceima, where thousands took to the streets to criticize the poor state of hospitals and schools. They were brutally suppressed by the Moroccan government, resulting in the well-known political prisoner Nasser Zefzafi.
Between Promise and Implementation
In the meantime, the Moroccan government has responded to the national demonstrations and has promised to increase government spending on education and healthcare by more than 13 million euros by 2026, with a focus on creating around 27,000 new jobs in those sectors.
While Gen Z in other countries often advocates for cultural or political emancipation, young people in Morocco are fighting for better public services. Morocco thus does not stand as an isolated exception, but as a sharp example of how a global generation fights within local realities. Currently, hundreds of demonstrators are being prosecuted for their participation in the protests, and the frequency of demonstrations has declined since they began.