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Protesters assembled in downtown Casablanca on October 2, 2025, during youth-led demonstrations calling for improved education and healthcare, reports Reuters.
The organization spearheading Morocco’s widespread protests issued a call on Friday for the government’s removal, after days marked by unrest that resulted in the deaths of three individuals.
The request followed fresh protests on Thursday across the country, advocating reforms in the healthcare and education sectors. These protests marked the sixth day of mostly peaceful demonstrations, occasionally marred by bouts of violence.
“We demand the dismissal of the current government due to its failure to safeguard Moroccans’ constitutional rights and address their social needs,” stated the protest group GenZ 212.
While the group’s organizers remain unidentified, they also demanded the “immediate release of all individuals detained in connection with these peaceful protests.”
The protests across Morocco, a nation known for its stability, have been fueled by frustration over social inequality, especially after last month’s reports of eight pregnant women dying at a public hospital in Agadir.
Many citizens believe that public healthcare and education systems require significant improvement as the country advances major infrastructure projects aimed at hosting the Africa Cup of Nations in December and contributing to the 2030 World Cup.
GenZ 212 asserted that its call for government sacking is based on a constitutional provision granting the King the authority to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister and cabinet members.
The group has primarily leveraged Discord, a popular online messaging platform, to disseminate its call for protests, emphasizing its distancing from violence and vandalism in certain cities.
In Rabat on Thursday, protesters bearing Moroccan flags demanded “health, not just stadiums,” according to an AFP journalist, with no reports of violence during the rally.
Similar peaceful demonstrations took place in Casablanca, Marrakech, and Agadir, without any signs of disturbances.
Earlier that day, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch made his first public statement since the unrest began, expressing his government’s willingness to “engage in dialogue” and “respond to the protesters’ demands.” He also acknowledged that three people had lost their lives during riots the previous night, describing the incidents as “regrettable.”
An interior ministry spokesperson stated that all three victims had been killed while attempting to storm a local law enforcement station Wednesday night. Prior official reports indicated two protesters were shot dead during an incident near Agadir, where officers claimed the protesters wielded “bladed weapons” and tried to “storm” the station.
Health Minister Amine Tehraoui told parliament on Wednesday that several reforms were underway but admitted they remained “insufficient to close the sector’s gaps.”
Since protests erupted, hundreds of mostly young individuals have been arrested, with GenZ 212 urging participants to remain peaceful, advocating a “civilized and responsible expression of our demands.”
By Wednesday night, authorities reported over 400 arrests during demonstrations, with nearly 300 injuries, predominantly among security personnel. Additionally, 80 public and private buildings were vandalized, and hundreds of vehicles damaged.
Lawyers announced that about 134 individuals, six of whom are detained, are scheduled for trial in Rabat soon.
Protesters are demanding an end to corruption and championing “dignity, social justice, and freedom.” Despite its calls for peaceful protests, GenZ 212 affirms its “love for the homeland and King Mohammed VI,” although it opposes certain political parties.
Clashes have broken out in some cities, including Sidi Bibi near Agadir, where demonstrators reportedly torched local government offices, according to social media videos and reports.
In Sale, north of Rabat, an AFP journalist observed hooded individuals setting fire to two police cars and a bank branch. Resident Hicham Madani commented, “The youth I saw vandalizing in Sale have nothing to do with GenZ 212. They are just young troublemakers intent on chaos.”
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