The group leading the mass protests in Morocco demanded the government's resignation on Friday after days of unrest left three people dead, AFP reports, News.bg reports.
“We demand the dismissal of the current government because it has failed to protect rights and respond to social demands“, the protest organization GenZ 212 said in a statement.
New demonstrations were held in the kingdom on Thursday, the sixth consecutive day of protests in which citizens are demanding reforms in healthcare and education. While mostly peaceful, the rallies have also been marked by bouts of violence.
The organizers, whose identities remain unknown, are also demanding the release of all those detained during the protests.
The protests have erupted amid growing public discontent over social inequality, especially after the deaths of eight pregnant women in a state hospital in Agadir last month.
Many Moroccans believe that the health and education sectors are lagging behind, while the country is investing heavily in infrastructure projects related to hosting the Africa Cup of Nations in December and co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
GenZ 212 stresses that the resignation request is based on an article in the constitution that gives the king the power to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and members of the government.
The group mainly uses the Discord platform to coordinate and spread its messages, repeatedly distancing itself from acts of violence and vandalism.
In the capital Rabat, demonstrators on Thursday raised slogans such as “Health, not just stadiums“, while rallies were also held in Casablanca, Marrakech and Agadir without serious incidents.
Prime Minister Aziz Ahannouch, in his first address since the start of the crisis, said the government was ready to enter into dialogue and respond to the protesters' demands. He confirmed the deaths of three people during clashes that he described as “deplorable”.
According to the interior ministry, the victims died during an attempted storming of a police station near Agadir. Authorities initially reported two deaths in the shooting after protesters tried to storm the building with "cold weapons."
Health Minister Amin Tehrawi admitted in parliament that ongoing reforms in the sector were "still insufficient to fill existing gaps."
Hundreds, mostly young people, have been arrested since the demonstrations began.