[Today’s Prayer] 2,480 Gen Z Protesters in Morocco Prosecuted

According to AP on the 30th (local time), North Africa’s Morocco has prosecuted 2,480 people in connection with nationwide protests led by Generation Z (born in the mid-to-late 1990s to early 2000s).

The report states that the charges include armed rebellion, insulting and assaulting public officials during the performance of their duties, and incitement to serious crimes. Among them, 1,473 people have been prosecuted while in custody.

In Morocco, protests led by the youth group “Gen Z 212” demanding improved education and healthcare services began on the 27th of last month and continued nationwide for some time.

The protesters also criticized government spending on co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup and investing in the upcoming African Nations Cup in December.

Although organizers called for peaceful protests, in some cities and towns, demonstrations escalated into violence. On the 1st, three people were shot dead by police while attempting to occupy a police station.

Hundreds of people, including police officers, were injured, and hundreds of vehicles as well as numerous public and private facilities were damaged nationwide.

Human rights groups criticized the authorities for their harsh crackdown, while police and prosecutors claimed that the suppression of the protests was legal.

Hanan Salah, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch (HRW), issued a statement last week, urging that “those demanding fair opportunities for their future should not be subjected to lethal repression.”

Source: Yonhap News

"With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord! I will keep your statutes. I cry to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies." (Psalm 119:145-146)

Lord, we hear that the Moroccan government has prosecuted and imprisoned many Moroccan youths in connection with nationwide Gen Z protests.

Led by the youth group “Gen Z 212,” these young people are demanding better education and healthcare, and they are also criticizing excessive government spending related to the 2030 World Cup. We understand that the protests escalated into violence, resulting in three deaths.

God, many Moroccan youths are compelled to protest because they cannot access the education and medical care they need. Yet the government not only ignores their demands but also prosecutes and imprisons them.

We ask that You work in the Moroccan government, so that it may listen to the voices of its youth and respond appropriately. May the nation’s budget be directed toward the real needs of its citizens, enabling Moroccan youths to receive proper education and healthcare.

Protect those Moroccan youths who are in prison, and even in these circumstances, let many of them encounter Jesus in their dreams and visions, returning to You.

Lord, we believe that You hear the cries of the Moroccan youth and respond. Let the salvation of Jesus truly come to Morocco, and may the Moroccan people be revived by Your power.

Through this, may Morocco become a nation that preserves and testifies to God’s truth. May the Moroccan people make disciples of all nations, fulfill the fullness of the Gentiles, and accomplish the words of Jesus Christ!