Morocco’s Youth Uprising: Imprisoned Activist Warns of Looming Crisis

"The use of repression instead of dialogue and the resort to arrests instead of meeting the demands of the people is proof of the makhzen’s belief in the policy of (after me, the deluge), and this is what will bring our country misfortunes in the near future," condemns Nasser Zefzafi in a post titled "Commentary of my dear brother Nasser Zefzafi on the protests of Generation Z" published by Tarek, the brother of the leader of the "Hirak" protest movement.

He adds: "Our condemnation of what happened to those who suffered repression, and freedom for all patriotic free men and women who were arrested following the peaceful protests." Tarek also published a symbolic image modified by artificial intelligence, showing his brother in his cell following these protests on a television screen.

At the initiative of the recently created digital group known as "GENZ212", many young people demonstrated in several Moroccan cities last Saturday and Sunday. The demands of this group mainly concern issues of education, health, employment and social justice. In the aftermath, the security forces dispersed the demonstrations. They also arrested several protesters. But the arrests are far from dampening the ardor of "GENZ212". Calls continue on social media to organize new sit-ins and marches.