Rabat, Oct 3(HS): Two people have been killed in Morocco as security forces opened fire to stop demonstrators from storming a police station in the town of Lqliaa, near Agadir, marking the first fatalities since the wave of youth-led protests began last weekend.

The unrest, driven largely by Generation Z activists mobilizing online, erupted in response to the government’s decision to invest heavily in stadiums for the 2030 World Cup while hospitals, schools, and other public services remain underfunded. Chanting “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?”, protesters have taken to the streets nightly across several cities, setting vehicles ablaze and targeting police facilities.

Eyewitnesses described dire conditions in public hospitals, with some comparing them to “jails,” citing bribery, neglect, and overcrowding. Demonstrations have now spread from Oujda in the east to Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakesh, and Tangier, with Morocco’s key tourist hub also reporting the burning of a police station.

Authorities said security forces fired in “self-defence” during Wednesday night’s incident and confirmed that more than 400 people have been detained nationwide. Official figures state that over 260 policemen and at least 20 protesters have been injured, while dozens of police vehicles and private cars were torched.

Organisers of the decentralised movement, calling themselves GenZ 212 after Morocco’s international code, have distanced themselves from acts of violence, stressing that their campaign is focused on peaceful reform. Youth discontent remains high amid a 12.8% national unemployment rate, with nearly 36% of young people jobless, including one in five graduates.

The Moroccan government, which has praised the “measured response” of security forces, has offered to open dialogue with the youth within institutional frameworks. Still, tensions remain high following a summer of similar protests in countries including Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Madagascar—where governments either fell or were reshuffled under pressure.

As the demonstrations in Morocco enter their sixth day, analysts warn that the scale of unrest reflects more than frustration with stadium spending. It underscores a generation’s demand for dignity, transparency, and meaningful opportunities in an economy struggling to meet their aspirations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar