Moroccan protests driven by teenagers and internet-savvy youth has turned deadly as authorities on Thursday raised the death toll to 3 as violent youth-led demonstrations over corruption and public spending continue to rock the country. Morocco’s Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch praised the response of security forces and said the government was ready for talks, as organisers called for a sixth night of protests. “The death toll in the protests has risen to three,” Akhannouch said in a statement. “We have unfortunately recorded the deaths of three people” during the protests, Akhannouch said, describing the events as “regrettable”, AFP reported. Local authorities reported that security forces had to resort to firearms after teargas failed to stop demonstrators from storming a police facility in Leqliaa, a small town outside Agadir. The group, armed with knives, set fire to part of the facility and to a vehicle. According to Morocco’s Interior Ministry, the three were shot and killed during an attempt to seize police weapons, although no witnesses could corroborate the report. The ministry added that 354 people, mostly law enforcement personnel, were injured, while hundreds of cars, banks, shops, and public buildings were damaged across 23 provinces.

Why is Moroccan youth protesting?

The protests dominated by Gen Z participants have taken Morocco by surprise. Demonstrators have voiced frustration over widespread corruption, contrasting the billions invested in preparations for the 2030 World Cup with underfunded schools and hospitals. Chants have included slogans such as, “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?” The unrest has been further fueled by the recent deaths of eight women in a public hospital in Agadir, which has become a rallying cry against the decline of Morocco’s healthcare system. While the country prepares to host soccer’s Africa Cup of Nations later this year and gears up for parliamentary elections in 2026, the protests highlight enduring regional disparities and dissatisfaction with public services, particularly among youth. Officials, however, denied that World Cup-related spending has taken precedence over public infrastructure, noting that many challenges facing the health sector were inherited from previous governments.