Sixty Moroccan figures on Wednesday urged the King of Morocco to respond to the social protests that have been taking place for ten days by young people by initiating "in-depth" reforms, ahead of a highly anticipated royal speech on Friday.

In an open letter, 60 intellectuals, artists and human rights defenders, including historian Maâti Mounjib, journalist Omar Radi and activist Fouad Abdelmoumni, believe that "the situation is serious."

"We are addressing you because you hold the ultimate authority, and therefore the ultimate responsibility, in this country. The people of Morocco are suffering, and its youth are shouting it out loudly in the streets," they wrote to the king.

Since September 27, the youth collective "GenZ 212," which recently emerged on social media, has been calling for nightly rallies to demand reforms in health and education, an end to corruption, and the resignation of the government.

The protests began in mid-September after the deaths of eight pregnant women admitted for caesareans at the public hospital in Agadir (south).

On Tuesday, the movement announced a "temporary pause" in the demonstrations to better organize itself for a major mobilization on Thursday, on the eve of the opening of the autumn parliamentary session during which Mohammed VI sets the country's priorities each year.

The youth's demands "are legitimate," the signatories of the open letter believe, supporting the collective's call for the fall of the head of government, Aziz Akhannouch, who stated last week that the executive was willing to "dialogue" with young people.

They believe that to "address the structural causes of anger," it is necessary to fight "corruption" and "cronyism," as well as to focus the state's priorities on "education, health, and job creation - instead of persisting in lavish spending" such as "the largest football stadium in the world."

Morocco, host of the African Cup of Nations at the end of 2025 and co-organizer of the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal, has undertaken vast infrastructure projects: construction of new stadiums, expansion of the high-speed network and modernization of several airports.

The signatories also call for "the launch of a process of constitutional reform" and the release of all detainees of the GenZ 212 movement as well as all "other political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Morocco."