Death toll rises to 3 in Morocco's anti-government protests

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RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Morocco's government said Thursday it would address grievances fueling youth-led protests, a day after security forces killed three people during unrest.

Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said he mourned the deaths, praised law enforcement for its efforts to maintain order and indicated that the government was prepared to respond favorably to the protestors demanding better public healthcare and education.

Speaking before a council of government ministers, he did not detail reforms under discussion, but said he was “ready for dialogue and debate within institutions and public spaces.”

“The approach based on dialogue is the only way to deal with the various problems faced by our country," Akhannouch said.

Authorities updated the death toll from this week's unrest to three on Thursday, saying that armed rioters had stormed public buildings and disrupted public order as the youth-led anti-government demonstrations showed few signs of abating.

Security forces opened fire at demonstrators on Wednesday, killing three people in Leqliaa, a small town outside the coastal city of Agadir. Morocco's Interior Ministry said the three were shot and killed during an attempt to seize police weapons, though no witnesses could corroborate the report.

The ministry said 354 people — mostly law enforcement — had sustained injuries. It said hundreds of cars were damaged, as well as banks, shops and public buildings in 23 of the country's provinces. Throughout the country, roughly 70% of the demonstrators were minors, according to ministry estimates.

The demonstrations, organized by a leaderless movement dominated by internet-savvy youth, have taken the country by surprise and emerged as some of Morocco’s biggest in years. By midweek, they appeared to be spreading to new locations despite a lack of permits from authorities.

Those taking part in the so-called Gen Z protests decry what they see as widespread corruption. Through chants and posters, they have contrasted the flow of billions in investment toward preparation for the 2030 World Cup, while many schools and hospitals lack funds and remain in a dire state.

But chants were fewer as violence broke out in several cities on Wednesday evening, following days of mass arrests in more than a dozen cities, particularly in places where jobs are scarce and social services lacking.

The chaos came despite warnings from authorities, political parties in government and the opposition and the organizers themselves. In a statement published on Discord, the Gen Z 212 protest movement earlier on Wednesday implored protesters to remain peaceful and blasted “repressive security approaches.”

“The right to health, education and a dignified life is not an empty slogan but a serious demand,” the organizers said.

Still, the protests have escalated and become more destructive, particularly in cities far from where development efforts have been concentrated in Morocco. Local outlets and footage filmed by witnesses show protesters hurling rocks and setting vehicles ablaze in cities and towns in the country's east and south.

The Moroccan Association for Human Rights has said that more than 1,000 people have been apprehended, including many whose arrests were shown on video by local media and some who were detained by plainclothes officers during live television interviews.

The “Gen Z” protests mirror similar unrest sweeping countries like Nepal, Kenya and Madagascar. Demonstrators have harnessed anger about conditions in hospitals and schools to express outrage over the government’s spending priorities.

Pointing to new stadiums under construction or renovation across the country, protesters have chanted, “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?” and alleged rampant corruption at everyday people's expense. The recent deaths of eight women in public hospital in Agadir have become a rallying cry against the decline of Morocco’s health system.

As Morocco prepares to host soccer's Africa Cup of Nations later this year and politicians gear up for a parliamentary election in 2026, the link has drawn attention to how deep disparities endure in the North African kingdom. Despite rapid development, according to some metrics, many Moroccans feel disillusioned by its unevenness, with regional inequities, the state of public services and lack of opportunity, particularly for youth, fueling discontent.

Officials have denied prioritizing World Cup spending over public infrastructure, saying problems facing the health sector were inherited from previous governments.

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Akram Oubachir contributed reporting from Casablanca.