Two killed in anti-government protests rocking Morocco

Police in Morocco have shot two people dead amid youth-led nationwide protests against the state of public services.

The deaths occurred in the small town of Leqliaa, hundreds of miles south of the capital Rabat, after police opened fire on demonstrators, allegedly in self-defence.

Morocco's state news agency, MAP, cited local authorities as saying police shot two "troublemakers" in an act of self-defence. It claimed they had been attempting to seize police weapons, though no eyewitnesses could corroborate the report.

The deaths were the first since the so-called "Gen Z" protests broke out on Saturday, fuelled by what many see as widespread corruption.

Demonstrators have taken issue with the billions being spent on hosting the 2030 football World Cup, while schools and hospitals still lack funding for basic services.

The leaderless movement, which took the country by surprise, has seen some of Morocco's biggest protests in recent years.

By Wednesday, violence had broken out in several cities following days of mass arrests, particularly in locations where jobs are scarce and social services are lacking.

In Sale, a poor city next to Rabat, hundreds of masked youth — mostly teenagers — torched cars, banks and shops, smashing windows and looting, with no police in sight.

In footage filmed by witnesses on Tuesday, protesters could be seen hurling rocks and setting vehicles ablaze in cities and towns in the country's east and south, including Inzegane and Ait Amira.

The chaos comes despite warnings from the Moroccan government, the opposition and the movement's organisers themselves.

In a statement published on Discord, the Gen Z 212 protest movement implored protesters on Wednesday to remain peaceful and blasted “repressive security approaches".

Morocco’s Interior Ministry has said 409 people have been taken into police custody. It warned that the anonymously organised protests would be dealt with according to the law, and those found breaking it would be treated "rigorously and firmly".

So far, 263 police officers have been injured and 142 of their vehicles damaged, according to the ministry, who added that 20 private cars have also were damaged and 23 civilians hurt.