Automatically translated by AI.

The mobilizations for social justice and against authoritarianism. the repression of the monarchical regime has caused deaths, injuries and prisoners. The youth of the “Generation Z” appears as the protagonist of a process that is ongoing. Every explosion in the Maghreb takes the memory back to the “Arab Spring” and, consequently, to the conclusions it left.

By Chaiaa Ahmed Baba and Flor Salgueiro

Economic crisis and authoritarianism

For years, the Kingdom of Morocco has been causing growing economic and social inequalities: unemployment of more than 37% among young people, job insecurity and living costs that devour humble incomes. There is extreme poverty in the neighborhoods and public services such as health and education are structurally deteriorated by disinvestment.

Monarchical capitalist nonsense

While the people barely survive, Mohamed VI squanders the public coffers to make up the authoritarian face of the regime, building new stadiums for the 2030 World Cup and renovating facilities that bode well for big business.  

The privileged turn their backs on the social drama and live in their world of luxury. Such is the case of Prince Mulay Hasan, heir to Mohamed VI, who walks through the protocol events and has fun with the jet ski protected by his personal escort.

The monarchy, belonging to the Alawite dynasty, is like a ghost that flies over the people to control them, take away their freedom of expression and perpetuate themselves in power based on authoritarianism, inequality and corruption. That’s why she’s less respected, more hated and she should be kicked out.

Rebellion with mobilizations and protests

From September 27-30, the youth movement called “GENZ212” (“Generation Z1 of Morocco”, with the phone code +212) has emerged, organized mostly via platforms such as Discord, TikTok, etc.

The protests began as demands for improvements in education and health, social justice, and a dignified life. They erupted after the death of eight pregnant women at the Hassan II Hospital in Agadir, due to a lack of anesthetics and resources for an adequate intervention.

Roadblocks, clashes and demonstrations took place in Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech, Agadir, Inezane, Ait Amira, Beni Mellal, Uxda, Temara, Leqliaa and other cities and towns. As a result of the repression, three people were killed, more than 400 arrested and dozens injured. And there are already new calls for mass demonstrations.

Striking higher education supports young people

The National Higher Education Union, which began a 48-hour strike on Tuesday 7, has denounced that the adoption of a reform that could put an end to free university is in progress. The teachers believe that Bill 59-24 “is a dangerous strategic choice that risks mortgaging the future of the Moroccan university and society for decades” because it transforms the right to public higher education into a privilege for those who can afford it, for these reasons the Union supports the youth demands.

Israel’s Partners against Palestine and Western Sahara

In addition, Morocco continues to act as an oppressive regional power. It self-awarded sovereignty over Western Sahara in international agreements with the backing of the imperialisms and Israel, which has strengthened military and security ties between the two countries. Israel has provided weapons, drones, and security cooperation, strengthening occupation of Western Sahara, repression, violation of human rights and abuses, mainly to Saharawi women.

The treacherous policy of Mohamed VI fuels the normalization of relations with the Zionist state that wants to erase Palestine from the map.

In the background of the protests

There are journalistic media that insist on referring to the revolts with youth participation as the emergence of ”Generation Z”1. They do so based on the fact that, beyond the differences, the rebellious youth expressions in Morocco, France, Nepal, Madagascar, Kenya, Peru, Paraguay and other countries have common features: they have no visible leaders, they reject traditional parties, they are autonomists, they practice direct action – sometimes radical – and they organize themselves digitally.   

As they define them, they would represent a significant change both in the way they interact with technology and it is their ideal that there is a “more just” world.

On the other hand, some accomplices of the monarchy circulate the false version that the protests are fed by Saharawi agitators and infiltrators of the Polisario Front.

Beyond this or that “generation” and the lies of the regime, what is at the bottom of the rebellions is the continuity of the serious capitalist crisis that began in 2008, of the deterioration of living conditions that widens the inequality gap and overshadows the future of millions of young people, be they workers, students or unemployed.

Political and social polarization as a dominant feature

The world situation is characterized by a growing polarization that is expressed with two faces: the rise of the ultra-right and the growth of struggles, strikes, mobilizations and rebellions of workers, peoples and youth.

Although much has been said about the support for the ultra-right on the part of the youth, mainly from a male age group, a youth that struggles is also being expressed. The youth rebellions show again at every moment that it is a fundamental sector to motorize protests for radical changes and just causes. In the massive mobilizations and actions against the genocide and for Palestine, young workers or students, particularly women, have a very prominent role. Young people are a privileged sector to advance with the proposals for unity with the workers’ movement and for socialist ideas.

Teachings and signs that cannot be ignored

Although what happened in Morocco has not been widespread at the moment, every time there are protests in the Maghreb, the memory goes back to the “Arab Spring”. It was a feat whose tasks were left unfinished and which has left important conclusions regarding the unity of the popular processes with the workers’ movement and to provide itself with revolutionary socialist leaderships and organizations in order to succeed.

And since the causes that motivated the uprisings in North Africa – the serious social and democratic deficiencies – are still in force, it is important to be attentive to the events, even if they are embryonic.

It must also be taken into account that, in addition to social and democratic needs, there is a great rejection of genocide among the Arab peoples and anger against traitorous governments is growing. It is a potentially explosive combination that is dormant.  

Support for the struggles and exit from the background

The GenZ 212 collective has called for large-scale demonstrations for Thursday the 9th, the eve of the opening of the parliamentary session that, as is tradition, will be marked by a speech by King Mohammed VI to both chambers. At the same time, they continue to demand the resignation of the head of Government and better public services in health and education.

Support the revolt of the Moroccan youth and we support the demands and we stand in solidarity with their just demands! No to repression, punishment to those responsible for the deaths! Immediate satisfaction of social and democratic needs! For the unity of students and workers, mobilization, general strike and democratic self-organization!

In our opinion, the experiences of previous processes show that in order to succeed, it is essential that movements equip themselves with a program that goes beyond the minimum needs. That’s why we say:

Down with the monarchy, the authoritarian and corrupt regime!Rupture of relations with the genocidal State of Israel and effective support for the Palestinian cause!Out with the invading troops of Western Sahara and recognition of the right to self-determination!

It is essential to unite with the mobilized working class leading the struggle, to advance in forms of democratic self-organization and to forge new socialist, revolutionary and internationalist leaderships and organizations. For the workers to rule, with a just system, without exploited or oppressed, with full workers’ democracy, which can only be socialism.

1.- Maghreb: It is the Spanish adaptation of an Arabic voice that means “place where the sun sets”, (Setting), the westernmost part of the Arab world, also known as Northwest Africa.  

2.- Generation Z: It usually includes people born from the mid or late 1990s to the late 2000s who have used the internet since childhood and are comfortable with technology and social media.