Morocco: Three Youths Arrested for Wearing T-Shirts with Pro-Palestine, Social Slogans
Three Moroccan youths, including a printing machine operator, are set to appear before a Rabat court on October 10 after being arrested for wearing T-shirts bearing slogans about Palestine and public health, local media reported.
The youths were detained on October 4 for wearing shirts with the messages “Freedom for Palestine” and “Education and Health First” during demonstrations organized by the collective GenZ 212. The movement, which has sparked nationwide protests since late September, has been rallying young Moroccans angered by what they describe as the Makhzen regime’s “anti-social and disastrous policies.”
According to Moroccan media outlet The Voice, the three were presented to the public prosecutor on October 6 and placed in pre-trial detention pending their hearing. The case also targets the printer accused of producing the shirts.
The protests, led by GenZ 212, have spread across major cities and rural areas, denouncing corruption and calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch’s government.
Authorities have responded with a heavy police presence. On October 7, a court in Berkane sentenced two demonstrators to two years in prison and another to 18 months, while three others await verdicts. Rights groups report that more than 1,000 people — including over 200 minors — have been detained, with reports of mistreatment and harassment in custody.
The unrest follows growing public frustration over government spending priorities, particularly billions of euros allocated to prepare for the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, while hospitals and schools face chronic underfunding.
Activists have contrasted these projects — which could exceed €5 billion — with what they describe as the worsening healthcare and education systems and high youth unemployment.
In recent weeks, three demonstrators were reportedly shot dead by police in Leqliaa, some 500 km south of Rabat, as authorities claimed to be responding to “serious unrest.”
