Escalating Violence in Morocco: 263 Security Personnel Injured as GenZ 212 Protests Intensify Across Cities

Rabat:

Morocco witnessed an escalation of violence during the fourth night of youth protests across multiple cities, with authorities reporting 263 security personnel and 23 civilians injured as protesters set fire to vehicles and looted commercial establishments.

The demonstrations, which began on Saturday, have intensified each night. The movement is organized by an anonymous youth collective known as "GenZ 212," who coordinate their activities through social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and the gaming application Discord. Their demands center on improvements to education and healthcare services.

During Tuesday night's unrest, according to an Interior Ministry spokesperson's statement, demonstrators wielded knives and hurled Molotov cocktails and stones at security forces. Authorities have detained 409 individuals in connection with the violence.

The spokesperson reported significant damage across multiple regions, with administrative buildings, banks, and retail establishments vandalized or ransacked in the Souss region cities of Ait Amira, Inezgane, Agadir, and Tiznit, as well as in the eastern city of Oujda.

On their social media accounts, GenZ 212 has disavowed the violence, stating their commitment to peaceful protests. The group emphasized that their grievances lie with the government rather than security forces.

The Interior Ministry detailed that protesters had torched 142 security force vehicles and 20 private automobiles.

While Morocco has experienced recurring peaceful demonstrations over economic and social conditions, the current wave represents the most violent protests since at least 2016 and 2017, when clashes erupted between protesters and security forces in the northern Rif region.

The Interior Ministry spokesperson affirmed that the government would uphold citizens' right to protest within legal frameworks, responding with "restraint and self-control, avoiding provocation."