Two people were killed and several others injured in Lqliaa, near Agadir, after security forces opened fire on protesters attempting to seize weapons from a gendarmerie facility on Wednesday night, local authorities said.
Officials reported that security forces first used tear gas, but resorted to firearms when protesters armed with knives set fire to part of the building and a vehicle. Authorities did not specify the number of injured.
The violence marked a deadly turn in demonstrations that began Saturday with calls for better education and healthcare. The protests have been organised online by a youth movement calling itself “GenZ 212,” which has used TikTok, Instagram and the gaming app Discord to mobilise supporters. Membership in its Discord server has grown from about 3,000 last week to more than 130,000.
Clashes intensified on Tuesday night, with the Interior Ministry reporting 263 security officers and 23 civilians injured. Reuters images showed security forces surrounding protesters and detaining them in vans.
On Wednesday, unrest spread to several cities. In Salé, near Rabat, witnesses said young men threw stones at police, looted shops, and set banks and police vehicles ablaze. In Tangier, youths clashed with security forces, while in Sidi Bibi masked demonstrators burned the commune headquarters and blocked a main road. In Biougra, a bank was ransacked and shops damaged.
Morocco’s tourist hub Marrakech also saw violent clashes, with local media reporting that protesters set fire to a police station. In Taroudant, demonstrators attacked shops and torched cars.
Despite the violence in some regions, peaceful demonstrations took place in Casablanca and in the eastern cities of Oujda and Taza, where protesters demanded Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch’s resignation and chanted anti-corruption slogans.
The unrest was sparked by anger over poor hospital conditions in Agadir and has since grown into one of the largest waves of youth-led demonstrations in recent years.
