Peaceful GenZ 212 protests in Morocco over healthcare and education turned violent in several cities, with three people killed and public and private property vandalized across 23 provinces. Lack of dialogue or a late government response ? Psychosociologist Mohcine Benzakour on why the protests escalated into violence. What started as peaceful protests, initiated by a youth-led group called GenZ 212 demanding better healthcare services and quality public education, escalated in some Moroccan cities into violent clashes with security forces, arson, vandalism, and looting. While the demonstrations that took place on the weekend of September 27–28 were peaceful, the past two nights saw violent escalations. In Inezgane–Aït Melloul province, three people were killed after gendarmes in Leqliaa used their service weapons to repel an attack on their headquarters. The damage extended to both public and private property, with vandalism targeting administrative, health, security, and municipal offices, as well as banks and shops across 23 provinces and prefectures. Crowd psychology, neglected youth But what made these peaceful protests in some cities descend into violence? To Moroccan psychosociologist Mohcine Benzakour, one answer lies in the government's late response. «The demands focused on health and better education. Up until then, everything was clear», he explained. But when «these young people took to the streets and felt unheard», frustration set in. The lack of dialogue, however, became a critical turning point. «When authorities intervene without providing dialogue, people are left to interpret things on their own. This creates space for those who want to exploit the situation for different objectives. All possibilities become open», Benzakour argued. This dynamic, he added, is what French social psychologist Gustave Le Bon once described as «crowd psychology». «A single spark can lead to disastrous consequences», Benzakour noted. Football riots are proof of this, he elaborated: «Fans leaving stadiums irritated, and suddenly things escalate. The same logic applies here. A spark can turn into violence, and that is exactly what we saw with our own eyes in videos». Recent events in Inzegane and other cities illustrate this shift. «We are no longer speaking of protests, or even violence, it is criminality», he said, referring to the attempted storming of a gendarmerie post to seize weapons and ammunition. The troubling presence of minors Reacting to the Interior Ministry's recent statement stressing that minors made up 70% of participants in some groups, Benzakour called this a «particularly sensitive issue». «These minors are just followers, easily influenced, lacking maturity and judgment. Their teenage impulsiveness, combined with the absence of critical thinking, fuels destructive behavior, as we saw when they were burning cars and jumping on them», hee explained. «We must handle these young people carefully, because they are clearly neglected», he stressed. For him, the blame should not fall solely on families: «Civil society also carries responsibility, as do the traditional youth centers that no longer play their role. Now, young people spend their free time glued to their phones, immersed in unregulated social media content, exposed to chaos and impulsiveness». To the analyst, the current situation now «requires political wisdom and experience» to avoid further violent scenarios. «If protests continue in this way, violence will lead to counter-violence, and this, God forbid, could spiral into insecurity». Responsibility, according to Benzakour, is twofold. «Responsibility is shared when it comes to failing to respond to protests. But those who loot, steal, or engage in vandalism and chaos bear full responsibility for their actions». Still, he insists, it is not too late: «There must be dialogue, reassurance, and the deployment of oversight committees».
