Morocco's king addresses social injustices in speech as Gen Z protesters demand reforms

Morocco has been swept by demonstrations for almost two weeks, as young people have taken to the streets to demand better public services and increased spending on health and education.

The 62-year-old monarch — walking into parliament without the help of a cane he used for part of last year — implored its members to defend the country and tackle some of the grievances raised at the protests with a spirit of seriousness and responsibility.

“Social justice is not a temporary priority,” the King, Morocco’s highest authority, said in his speech before lawmakers dressed in traditional white djellaba robes.

“It’s a strategic direction to which every one must adhere, and a crucial challenge that should govern our various development policies,” he added.

He did not touch on the contrast near the heart of anger seen in the streets: stadiums related to the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Protesters have chanted slogans to decry them taking priority over investments that raise Morocco’s living standards.

The King said projects big and small were both designed to move Morocco forward.

“There should be no contradiction or competition between major national projects and social programs, as both share the same goal: developing the country and improving the living conditions of citizens wherever they may be,” Mohammed VI said.

His address was highly anticipated after Gen Z 212 — the leaderless collective that organized many of the protests online — wrote a letter to him directly, urging him to intervene against corrupt officials and push reforms.

The speech offered no indication that protesters’ demands for Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch’s resignation and new corruption investigations would be met. After Gen Z 212 livestreamed the speech to thousands of its channel’s followers on the app Discord, many there said they were underwhelmed.

Yet others identified with the regional inequities and rural poverty given voice.

The issues have been central to some of the most heated protests in Morocco’s east and south. Demonstrators in cities like Oujda and the suburbs of Agadir have clashed violently with security forces, leading to numerous injuries and three deaths.

The King has addressed similar themes in prior speeches, both to open parliamentary proceedings and to commemorate his ascendance to Morocco’s throne. When protests convulsed northern Morocco in 2017, he similarly blasted politicians for not doing their jobs and communicating policies effectively. In July, he warned that Morocco could not become a “two speed country.”

Yet to many protesters, that’s what it has become.

Across Morocco, joblessness for those ages 15 to 24 is stubbornly high. Classrooms are packed. And hospitals are stretched thin, including one in Agadir where a woman passed away this week, months after eight others died giving birth. The conditions at the public hospitals where they died were among the sparks to ignite protests in September.

Gen Z 212 has gradually sharpened their demands and on Thursday published their most specific to date, urging officials to move fast to hire more health workers and boost spending, citing the government’s own reports warning of severe staffing and funding shortages.

Their letter pressed for an end to the growing privatization of Morocco’s education system and for the release of who they called “opinion detainees,” arrested for taking part in the Gen Z protests.

Local news outlets reported that more than 400 people have been arrested for vandalism linked to the protests. Some of them were held in custody. Activists have for decades criticized Morocco’s goal to have 20% of students educated in private schools for deepening inequality as wealthier families often send their children to private institutions, while public ones remain overcrowded and underfunded.

For both Mohammed VI and the protesters who convened in the parliament one night earlier, the message is clear: elected officials have no time to waste.

“We call on everyone to combat all practices that waste time, effort and resources,” the King said.

— Metz reported from Jerusalem.