Gen Z lead protests against stadium build in Morocco amid health system decline

As Morocco builds what promises to be the world’s largest football stadium, a Gen Z-led movement has taken to the streets to protestagainst what they call government greed.

The new 115-capacity football stadium, which alongside other football infrastructure is set to cost a reported $5bn (£3.7bn), has hit home for the young protesters who have been demonstrating every night since September 27.

Self-styled as Gen Z 212 (‘212’ being Morocco’s international dialling code), the movement has been organising the demonstrations through social media platforms such as Discord, TikTok and Instagram. Their demands, listed on social media, include better healthcare, free education and higher wages.

• Managing Tottenham - Xavi Simons dilemma as Thomas Frank given £84m priority transfer
• Building once 'home to murderers' is now up for sale at £95,000

Morocco has a relatively young population, with those born between 1995 and 2010 forming the largest age demographic. The demonstrations held were widely referred to as the Gen Z protests.

Morocco’s young protesters have drawn inspiration from the youth-led protests in Nepal, who channelled widespread frustration over the lack of opportunities, corruption and nepotism.

Gen Z 212's mostly peaceful protests have been held across 10 cities, including Rabat, Tangiers and Casablanca. 25-year-old protester Hajar Belhassan told the BBC: "I am protesting because I want my country to be better. I don't want to leave Morocco, and I don't want to resent my country for choosing to stay.”

For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror's Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox.

Moroccan protesters have been asking the authorities to act with the same urgency when it comes to basic infrastructure and care as they do when it comes to sporting events. Crowds of protesters have been building through the week and chanting slogans such as: "No World Cup, health comes first" and "We want hospitals not football stadiums.”

In a statement published on Tuesday, the movement called for the government’s resignation. An anonymous protest organiser told DW: "Health, education and a good living situation isn't something we should have to demand, these are our rights. But greed took them from us.”

Police have been responding to the protests with arbitrary mass arrests and have even resorted to violence, with three protesters killed after police opened fire on demonstrators on Wednesday, as reported by the BBC. The Mirror has reached out to the Moroccan Gendarmerie Royale for comment.

Who are Gen Z 212?

As reported by DW, the group was first founded on the online platform Discord in mid-September and members called for protests at the end of September. In the span of a week, the Discord collective Gen Z 212 grew from just 3,000 members to over 130,000, according to Reuters.

Discord is a platform best-known for gaming and streaming, but has played a vital role in other youth-led protests such as in Nepal and Madagascar.

Interestingly, Morocco’s Gen Z 212 movement does not appear to have a formal structure and those demonstrating say that they are not tied to a political party, per the BBC.

The protest organisers remain anonymous, which means the group cannot sit down and speak to Moroccan politicians who have called for dialogue.

Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!