Radical Mobilization, but Modest Demands

Rabat– Morocco’s Mediator, Hassan Tarik, has offered a detailed assessment of the ongoing youth-led protests, noting that the so-called “Gen Z” movement is characterized by a relatively low set of demands compared to previous protest waves in the country.

Unlike earlier movements, these demonstrations focus on basic social issues such as education, healthcare, and anti-corruption measures, rather than broad political slogans or radical ambitions.

Speaking on a special program aired on Friday on 2M Channel, Tarik explained that the modest scope of these demands makes it difficult to classify the protests using traditional categories of civil unrest that Morocco has experienced over the past decades. “The intensity of mobilization is stronger than the ceiling of demands,” he observed, highlighting the contrast between public expression and the limited nature of the demands themselves.

Tarik contextualized the movement within Morocco’s recent history, noting that today’s youth were born between the Alternance government of 1998 and the 2011 constitution, a period shaped by the Equity and Reconciliation Commission, human rights discourse, and democratic transition.

Despite being well-versed in these rights, young Moroccans often face difficulties in accessing them in practice—whether in education, healthcare, or other public services—leading to frustration and social tension.

“The youth today are more aware of global and cultural transformations,” Tarik said, “but the modesty of their demands does not diminish the legitimacy of their protests. It reflects the gap between their rights awareness and actual accessibility.” He added that while this generation carries unique characteristics shaped by contemporary conditions, it should not be idealized or considered infallible.

Despite flaws, the protests offer ‘an opportunity to renew political life’

Reflecting on Morocco’s history of protest, Tarik identified three main waves over the past thirty years: the uprisings of 1981, 1984, and 1990; sector-specific protests in the late 1990s; and the February 20, 2011 movement, which carried explicit political demands. By contrast, he said, today’s movements resist easy classification due to the contrast between their limited demands and the intensity of their mobilization.

Tarik also highlighted Morocco’s historical ability to channel unrest into reform. “Our society, institutions, and political actors have shown collective intelligence that transformed regional turbulence into moments of reform rather than chaos,” he said. “This current moment could also become an opportunity to renew political life and correct policies, provided we consider the complex dynamics and multiple possible outcomes.”

The mediator further warned of risks associated with digital platforms, noting that social media and apps are not inherently peaceful tools. “They often carry hidden agendas or are operated by anonymous accounts,” he said, stressing the need for caution and attention to solid fundamentals.

Finally, Tarik cautioned against idealizing the youth or reducing them to stereotypes. “Young people are not sacred and can make mistakes,” he said. “They are not holders of absolute truth by nature. They need support and guidance, not patronage.” He emphasized that politics inherently involves class, ideological, and value contradictions, which cut across all generations.

Concluding his remarks, Hassan Tarik described today’s youth as carrying a “protest memory” shaped by accumulated experiences but living in ongoing tension between their awareness of rights and the difficulty of accessing them. This dynamic, he said, explains the nature of their social movement: legitimate demands with a low ceiling, coupled with real-world challenges in achieving them.