Chaos, defeat and repression: How Afcon drama drowned out Morocco’s Gen Z crackdown

In Morocco, a wave of youth-led protests demanding better public services and an end to corruption has been met with a severe state crackdown. The "GenZ 212" movement was sparked by public outrage over deaths in an underfunded hospital, leading to thousands of arrests and hundreds of young people remaining in jail. The government then used the recently hosted Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) football tournament as a tool to divert public attention, deploying overwhelming security to suppress dissent. Protesters highlighted the irony of spending billions on stadiums while basic services like healthcare crumble, a sentiment that has been largely drowned out by the sporting event.