Morocco’s Youth Ignite Nationwide Unrest: Protests Escalate into Riots

The most serious incidents were reported in Salé, where a bank agency was set on fire and another was ransacked, and two police cars were burned. Acts of vandalism also affected Oulad Teima, with a bank being stormed, and Sidi Bibi, where the town hall was invaded and partially set on fire. Attempts to attack official buildings in Taroudant and near Agadir were also reported.

Responding to calls on social media, the protesters, identified as the "Generation Z", marched demanding "the fall of corruption" and better access to health, education and employment. Initially, the security forces were content to monitor the processions from a distance, a posture that initially favored peaceful gatherings before the situation degenerated in some places.

These new tensions come on the heels of a Tuesday that was already marked by a serious escalation. According to an official report from the Ministry of the Interior, the clashes on Tuesday had left 263 security force members injured and 23 among the protesters. More than 160 vehicles had been damaged and many public and private buildings vandalized.

On the legal front, the Presidency of the Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that 193 people had been prosecuted following these events. Among them, 35 were placed in detention, while 158 are being prosecuted while on provisional release.

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