Morocco’s youth take Gen Z protest demands to the polls

Rabat, Morocco – Nearly a year ago, environmental entrepreneur Hamza El Kharroubi was protesting in the streets. This week, the 28-year-old is campaigning for a seat in parliament. Doing political canvassing in Tetouan, El Kharroubi says he is cautiously optimistic that more young Moroccans will win seats in parliament this year. He founded the Environment and Sustainability Party, seeking to channel growing youth engagement into formal politics. “The previous protests by Gen Z have sparked more youth engagement in political parties. We expect this year to have exceptional participation from youth, both in voting and campaigning,” he told Al Jazeera English. The demonstrations came nearly a year before Wednesday’s parliamentary election.