By Ahmed Eljechtimi
RABAT (Reuters) -Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said on Thursday he was open to dialogue to end youth protests as security forces prepared for a sixth night of demonstrations that have escalated into riots across the country.
Hundreds of people have been arrested and injured, with buildings ransacked and cars torched since the protests began on Saturday, initially with demands for better education and healthcare.
Though crowds have not been huge in numbers, the increasingly violent protests have brought the worst street unrest in Morocco since mass demonstrations in the Rif region in northern Morocco in 2016-2017.
A fifth night of protests on Wednesday brought the first reported deaths, with authorities saying the security forces had shot and killed three youths armed with knives who were trying to steal weapons and ammunition in Lqliaa, near Agadir.
The incident took place when 200 people attacked a securities forces station and injured members of security forces who first responded with tear gas and warning shots.
DIALOGUE IS 'ONLY PATH' SAYS PM
Akhannouch said in a statement that his government had "engaged with the demands expressed by the youth movements" and was ready "for dialogue and discussion".
"Once again, we reiterate that a dialogue-based approach is the only path to addressing the various challenges facing our country."
The protests initially began with demands for better education and healthcare. They have been organised by a loosely formed, anonymous youth group calling itself "GenZ 212" using online platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and the gaming app Discord.
The GenZ 212 group has denounced violence and called for new, peaceful protests in major cities.
"We urge all participants to remain disciplined and ensure the peaceful nature of our actions," the group said in a statement on Discord.
Authorities have vowed to crack down on those participating in looting or vandalism. Rioters could face 20 years to life in jail, Ouali Alami, a senior official at the public prosecutor’s office, told state news agency MAP.
Organisers plan to hold protests on Thursday evening in major cities. But some of the most violent clashes have occurred in smaller towns and cities where the group had not announced planned protests.
The GenZ 212 movement is inspired by similar youth-led protests in Asia and Latin America. Membership in GenZ 212’s Discord server surged from around 3,000 last week to more than 150,000 on Thursday.
A spokesperson for the interior ministry said 70% of participants in acts of vandalism and clashes with security forces across Morocco have been minors.By Thursday, the number of people injured had risen to 640, including 589 members of the security forces, the ministry said. It said 413 law enforcement vehicles and 195 private cars had been damaged.
"Adults have been placed in police custody, while minors have been held under protective measures," the interior ministry spokesman said. "Authorities will take all necessary legal measures, without hesitation or leniency, against anyone proven to be involved in acts criminalised by law."
The escalating violence appears to have undermined popular support for the protest movement.
"I used to support their demands for education and health ... but after I saw this fire, I am wondering how can this serve their demands?" said Fatima, 54, outside a bank that had been torched in a densely populated area in Sale, near Rabat.
Morocco's five-year credit default swap, an indication of the cost of insuring government debt against default, widened by 9 basis points on Thursday, to 84 bps, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The level was the widest since June.
Last Friday, S&P had upgraded Morocco's credit rating to BBB-/A-3, citing sound economic policies and forecast a narrowing budget deficit.
(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi and Libby George, Editing by Peter Graff and Susan Fenton)
