Morocco protests demand health, education funding ahead of World Cup

Hundreds of young Moroccans took to the streets over the weekend in at least 11 cities, clashing with police and blocking highways as they demanded urgent investment in health and education and denounced corruption and what they described as misplaced government priorities ahead of Morocco's cohosted 2030 FIFA World Cup. Demonstrations spread from Agadir to Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakesh and were driven largely by leaderless youth networks that organized on social media.

Authorities moved to contain the rallies, with police saying nearly 200 people were arrested since Saturday. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights said more than 120 people were detained and reported instances of physical assault by security forces. Witnesses and video footage circulated online showed plainclothes and riot police dispersing crowds and detaining demonstrators in several cities.

The protests were fueled in part by public outrage after eight women died while giving birth at a public hospital in Agadir earlier this month. Demonstrators drew a direct link between that crisis and large-scale investments in sporting infrastructure, chanting messages that questioned why stadiums were prioritized...