HIBAPRESS – Shafiq Anouri
The Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights condemned, on Sunday, the prevention of protest gatherings announced by young people via social media platforms within the framework of what is known as "Generation Z", demanding that the protesters be listened to.
The Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights said in a statement that it had followed what a number of Moroccan cities witnessed on the 27th and 28th of September of this year, of protests and marches that came to "express legitimate social demands mainly related to the right to work, access to quality health and educational services, and ensuring social justice."
The League noted with "sadness" that "these forms of protest were not allowed to be a field for free peaceful expression, at a time when Morocco needs more than ever to embrace the voice of the youth and listen to their legitimate demands, considering them a national energy and an essential human capital for the future of the country."
She explained that the social conditions that Moroccan youth are experiencing today, characterized by high unemployment rates, poor health and educational services, and declining opportunities for professional integration, "impose opening a serious and responsible national discussion about public policies related to these areas, which requires an urgent response to the demands of the protesters in a practical and serious manner."
The Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights warned that "Moroccan youth today live in the shadow of suffocating crises related to unemployment, social vulnerability, and weak public services, and that listening to their voice and embracing their demands constitutes the real entrance to any democratic national project."
The same human rights league confirmed that "the security approach and the ban cannot be an alternative to dialogue and reform, which we have previously warned about and which we emphasize the need to pay attention to, especially since the way in which "Generation Z" met and communicated is an indication that classic communication channels are no longer fulfilling their real roles towards young people and that the confidence indicator in official institutions, parties and unions … is rolling towards a disconnection curve".
The Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights renewed its reminder of the contents of its open letter to the Minister of Health, last April, in which it called for "a deep reform of the health system to ensure justice in access to treatment and medical services, which is the same demand that young people are raising today, along with the demand for education reform as a basic pillar for social justice and equality of opportunity."
The League stressed the "constitutional and universal right to peaceful protest as a legitimate means of expressing opinion", condemning the government's resort to "prevention and arrest instead of listening to the voice of the youth aspiring to a Morocco of rights and freedoms", and stressing that "its prevention of protest forms is only an acknowledgment of its failure to deal with the demands of the popular masses, and that what it promotes of alleged reform is nothing but an attempt to anesthetize public opinion."
The human rights body demanded that the authorities "open direct channels of dialogue with young people about health, education and employment issues, in order to formulate practical solutions that reflect their needs and aspirations", reminding of "the need for deep reform of the health and education systems as two basic pillars for social justice and equality of opportunity."
The human rights league also affirmed that "guaranteeing the right to expression and peaceful protest constitutes a basic pillar for any democratic national project that places young people at the heart of its priorities", calling for "a comprehensive and urgent reform of the health system to ensure equality in access to treatment and medical services for all citizens."
The League demanded "providing public education that focuses on quality, equal opportunities, and linking training to the labor market", and "the adoption of effective policies to address unemployment and social vulnerability by providing decent job opportunities and ensuring social protection for young people."
The League concluded its statement by emphasizing that "addressing the social demands of young people is only achieved through dialogue, listening and field interaction, as they are mechanisms capable of opening new horizons for our country, restoring confidence in the public space, and laying the foundation for a stage based on freedom, dignity, social justice, equality and joint development."
