Morocco’s Gen Z Collective Pauses Protests, Demands Accountability
Rabat – The GenZ 212 collective, a digitally-organized movement of over 200,000 members on Discord, announced it will suspend demonstrations for the weekend but maintain it’s core demands for governmental accountability and reforms to Morocco’s ailing public services. The decision comes after weeks of near-daily rallies across the country sparked by the deaths of eight pregnant women at a public hospital in Agadir in late September.
The collective’s demands – which relate particularly to reforms in health and education – remain unchanged, requiring that the “corrupt” be held accountable and the government’s obligation be established “faced with the deterioration of social and economic conditions.” A new call for mobilization will be announced this Saturday.
GenZ 212 distinguishes itself by operating independently of established political parties and trade unions, directly addressing King Mohammed VI with its grievances. The King, in a speech Friday opening the autumn parliamentary session, urged the government to accelerate growth programs in education and health, though he did not directly address the youth demonstrations. He affirmed Morocco’s progress “towards greater social and territorial justice” and called for focused attention on “regions in very precarious situations.”
The protests highlight persistent social inequalities in Morocco, including significant regional disparities and a gap between the public and private sectors, issues that have deepened over the past 25 years.
