In the early hours of Wednesday, October 1, the Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), Abdelilah Benkirane, addressed the organizers of the Generation Z protests. In a video message, he expressed his «surprise» at the violent turn the demonstrations had taken on Monday and Tuesday, noting that they had begun peacefully. Benkirane warned the leaders of Gen Z 212 of the risk of «security chaos». «We risk facing violent clashes and assaults that neither you nor anyone else will be able to control», he cautioned, deploring «attacks on property and roads». Urging the protest leaders to go beyond disavowing acts of aggression, he called on them to ask their followers to end the demonstrations: «I urge you to stop these protests to avoid a spiral of violence and counter-violence», he said, stressing that «the damage recorded so far is significant». Benkirane added that the protests «will have political consequences in favor of your demands, but only if they come to an end». He concluded his message by appealing to the organizers not to involve minors in the movement: «Let the children return to their schools. Your message has been received». The PJD's General Secretariat had earlier called for the release of all Generation Z protesters. In a statement, the Islamist party urged «the government and public authorities to swiftly release all the young men and women who have been arrested and remain in detention, following these peaceful demonstrations and protests, whose right is guaranteed by the Constitution».
