Ben Pawlowski
THREE people have been killed by police in Morocco after protests against investment in the 2030 FIFA World Cup – set to be jointly-hosted with Spain and Portugal – turned violent.
Hundreds were arrested and almost 300 police officers and civilians were injured on Tuesday night after thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets.
The demonstrations are being spearheaded by the anonymous Gen Z 212, a youth collective which has used social media to spread its message and mobilise the anger of tens of thousands of young Moroccans.
Protesters are angry that money is being funneled into investment projects related to the World Cup, set to be hosted in five years time, rather than struggling, underfunded infrastructure such as hospitals or schools.
Demonstrators chanted ‘Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?’, referring to the recent deaths of eight women in public health facilities in Agadir which have come to symbolise the country’s declining infrastructure.
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The violence has spread across the country – but the city of Lqliaa has been thrown into the spotlight after three protesters were shot dead by police.
Authorities claim officers opened fire after a group allegedly armed with knives stormed a police facility late on Wednesday, setting part of it on fire in an attempt to seize police weapons.
A judicial inquiry has begun.
But the deaths are unlikely to deter the protesters, with Gen Z 212 urging its supporters to take part in ‘peaceful protests[…] as part of a civilised and reasonable expression of our demands’ for the sixth night running.
In a message urging its supporters to restrain from violence, the youth collective said it had ‘no conflict with the security forces, only with the government’.
Elsewhere, a police station was burnt in Marrakesh, a key tourist hub, while groups hurled stones at security forces in Tangier, on the Strait of Gibraltar.
The violence does not appear to have impacted Spain’s two enclaves on Morocco’s northern coast, Ceuta and Melilla.
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Morocco’s youth unemployment rate currently sits at almost 36%, with many angry that billions are being pumped into preparations for the World Cup rather than into the country’s youth.
The violent unrest has cast doubts on Morocco’s ability to jointly host the 2030 edition of the FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
Earlier this summer, Malaga withdrew its candidacy to be a host city for the tournament, citing viability issues regarding renovation of Malaga CF’s La Rosaleda stadium.
Malaga was one of nine cities put forward by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to host the tournament, alongside A Coruña, Barcelona, Bilbao, Las Palmas, Madrid, San Sebastian, Sevilla and Zaragoza.
Under FIFA plans, one match each will take place in Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina to honour the centenary of the first FIFA World Cup in 1930.
Together, Morocco, Spain and Portugal will host the remaining 101 matches of the tournament – although exact allocations remain subject to confirmation.
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