Morocco's Youth Unite: Demanding Healthcare Over Stadiums

Fri Oct 10 2025 14:18:01 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In the wake of the Moroccan government's focus on building the world's largest football stadium for the upcoming World Cup, a movement spearheaded by young protesters has emerged, calling for better healthcare, education, and living conditions.

Young Moroccans are protesting against government priorities as they demand hospitals over stadiums. Increasing unrest follows the government's push for a $5bn football infrastructure development while public health and education suffer. Gen Z 212 is leading the protests, which have faced a harsh police response, including mass arrests.

Morocco is currently building what will be the globe's largest football stadium in preparation for co-hosting the 2030 World Cup.

But for the demonstrators who have taken to the streets each night across the country since last Saturday, this 115,000-capacity showpiece and all the other football infrastructure in development, costing a reported $5bn (£3.7bn), are an affront - an example of a government that has got its priorities wrong.

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, says Hajar Belhassan, a 25-year-old communications manager from Settat, 80km (50 miles) south of Casablanca.

A group called Gen Z 212 - the number is a reference to the country's international dialing code - has been coordinating the demonstrations through gaming and streaming platform Discord, as well as TikTok and Instagram.

Apparently taking inspiration from Nepal's recent Gen Z protests, the young Moroccans want the authorities to act with the same urgency and passion when it comes to addressing these issues as with hosting one of the world's premier sporting events.

Starting on 27 September with protests across 10 cities, the crowds have been building through the week, chanting slogans such as: No World Cup, health comes first and We want hospitals not football stadiums.

The police have responded with seemingly arbitrary mass arrests and in certain places things have turned violent, leading to the death of three protesters.

Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said on Thursday that he was open to dialogue, but the leaderless movement has vowed to keep going until there is concrete change.

A list of their demands has been shared on social media. They include: