Protesters clash with police in anti-government demonstrations in Morocco

Protesters clashed with police during some of the largest anti-government demonstrations in Morocco in recent years, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.

Hundreds of young people took to the streets of at least 11 cities in the North African country, denouncing corruption and criticizing the government for spending more money on international sporting events than on health care and education. Protesters say there is a direct link between the difficulties Morocco's healthcare system is experiencing and the government's spending on hosting the 2030 World Cup.

"The stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?" chanted some protesters during the two-day protest.

Morocco is building at least three new stadiums and renovating and expanding at least six more in preparation for the World Cup, which the African country will co-host with Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. Morocco will also host the Africa Cup of Nations later this year.

Riot police dispersed protesters in several cities, including the capital Rabat and the city of Marrakech. According to the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, dozens of demonstrators were arrested on Saturday, with some of them physically assaulted.

The protests over the past two days have also been sparked by the increasing number of incidents related to the health system since the beginning of the year. Discontent escalated after eight women in labor recently died in a state hospital in the coastal city of Agadir, about 480 km south of Rabat.

Unlike previous protests organized by unions or political parties, the demonstrators who took to the streets of Morocco on Saturday and Sunday coordinated their actions through social networks such as "TikTok" and "Discord". Two of the protest movements – – "Gen Z 212" and "Voices of Youth in Morocco" called for "peaceful and civilized demonstrations" and responsible debate. But many of their supporters were more militant in their demands.

""There is no hope", a 27-year-old protester in Casablanca told an AP reporter. "I don't just want reforms in health and education, I want a complete reform of the system," he added.

In Morocco, people born between 1995 and 2010 make up the largest share of the population, and the weekend demonstrations were dubbed the "Zet" generation.

Demonstrators said they were inspired by the riots that swept Nepal earlier this month. On September 8, thousands of Nepalese youth took to the streets to protest against the lack of economic prospects and rampant corruption. The protests quickly escalated, with demonstrators setting fire to the parliament building and attacking a number of high-ranking politicians. Dozens of people died in the unrest, and Prime Minister Sharma Oli resigned.

The Moroccan government has rejected accusations that it is spending more money on the World Cup than on public needs. It says the problems facing the healthcare system are a legacy of the previous government.

Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) from 2023 show that Morocco has only 7.7 medical professionals for every 10,000 inhabitants. In some regions, the situation is even worse. For example, in Agadir, there are 4.4 doctors for every 10,000 inhabitants. According to the WHO recommendation, this ratio should be 25 per 10,000.