Tragic Turn in Morocco's Protests: First Fatalities Reported Amid Unrest

Fri Oct 10 2025 14:08:52 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Two lives lost as police open fire during youth-led protests in Morocco, which arose against government decisions on infrastructure over public services.

Youth-led protests in Morocco have resulted in the first reported deaths, as authorities open fire to prevent demonstrators from storming a police station. The unrest stems from frustrations over the government's priorities, particularly its focus on building football stadiums for the upcoming FIFA World Cup instead of improving essential public services amid an ongoing economic crisis.

At least two people have been killed in Morocco after police opened fire to prevent protesters from storming a police station in Lqliaa, near the coastal city of Agadir, state media reports.

These are the first deaths reported since huge youth-led protests broke out across Morocco on Saturday as anger grew over the government's decision to build football stadiums for the 2030 FIFA World Cup rather than improving public services and tackling the economic crisis.

Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals? is a popular chant among the Gen Z protesters.

One demonstrator described the hospital in his city, Oujda, as akin to a jail. He lamented the conditions, stating it was dirty and that patients had to bribe security officers and nurses to see a doctor.

The protests have been mostly nighttime occurrences, with police claiming they were forced to open fire in legitimate self-defense to repel the assault in Lqliaa, per the state-owned news agency.

Earlier on the same day, the interior ministry asserted that the right to protest within the law would be upheld. Organizers of the youth-led movement, GenZ 212, have distanced themselves from the incidents of violence, rallying mainly through social media and lacking a formal leadership structure.

Official statistics indicate Morocco's unemployment rate at 12.8%, significantly rising to 35.8% among youth and 19% among graduates, as reported by news agency Reuters.

The unrest is spreading across multiple Moroccan cities, including Rabat, Casablanca, and Tangier. Reports from Marrakesh indicate that protesters have resorted to setting a police station ablaze.

Interior ministry spokesman Rachid El Khalfi announced that over 409 individuals have been detained as a result of the unrest, with more than 260 police officers and 20 protesters reported injured. A total of 40 police vehicles and 20 private cars have also been torched.

This movement follows large-scale demonstrations this summer in other regions, including Nepal and Indonesia, highlighting a global pattern of youth unrest over perceived governmental neglect.

In response to the crisis, Morocco's governing coalition expressed a willingness to engage in respectful dialogue with the youth and praised the police's handling of the situation as balanced and legally compliant.