Violent clashes have erupted between protesters and security forces in Morocco, as youth-led demonstrations continued for a fourth day.
Hundreds marched through the streets across Morocco on Tuesday night, demanding better social services and less corruption.
Protesters hurled stones at security forces, according to local media reports, while footage shows cars and banks being set alight.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights has accused security forces of physically assaulting protesters and carrying out arbitrary arrests.
In the city of Oujda, a protester suffered injuries after he was hit by a police car, reports state news agency MAP.
The demonstrations were organised on social media by a loosely formed youth group that calls itself GenZ 212.
In a statement posted late on Tuesday on its Facebook page, the group expressed “regret over acts of rioting or vandalism that affected public or private property”.
It also urged participants to remain peaceful and avoid any behaviour that could “undermine the legitimacy of our just demands”.
The protesters have been chanting slogans calling for improved health and education services, along with better employment opportunities.
Several have also criticised the money spent on building stadiums for the 2030 Fifa World Cup. One sign carried during a demonstration in the capital, Rabat, read: “At least the Fifa stadium will have a first aid kit! Our hospitals don’t”.
The uprising follows similar youth-led, large scale demonstrations this summer in Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines and Madagascar.
The uprising in Nepal led to the prime minister resigning, while Madagascar’s president dissolved his government on Monday in an attempt to placate the protesters there.
Dozens of protesters have been arrested in Morocco, according to the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) but most have since been released. It said that 37 youngsters were on bail, pending investigations.
The government coalition issued a statement on Tuesday expressing willingness to engage in dialogue with the youth “within institutions and public spaces to find realistic solutions”.
It also praised what it called “the balanced reaction of security authorities in line with relevant legal procedures”.
