Youth protests in cities across Morocco turned far more violent on the fourth night of unrest, authorities said on Wednesday, reporting 263 members of the security forces and 23 civilians injured as demonstrators torched cars and ransacked shops.

Protests began on Saturday and have accelerated over successive nights. The demonstrations, demanding better education and healthcare, have been organised online by a loosely formed, anonymous youth group calling itself "GenZ 212," using platforms including TikTok, Instagram and the gaming application Discord.

On Tuesday's fourth night of demonstrations, young men brandished knives and threw Molotov cocktails and stones, the Interior Ministry's spokesperson said in a statement. He said 409 people had been taken into police custody.

Administrative buildings, banks and shops were looted or vandalised in the Souss region cities of Ait Amira, Inezgane, Agadir and Tiznit as well as the eastern city of Oujda, he said.

In posts on social media sites discussing the protests, the GenZ 212 group said it rejected violence and was committed to continuing peaceful protests. It said it had no argument with the security forces, only with the government.

The Interior Ministry statement said 142 vehicles belonging to the security forces and 20 private cars had been set on fire.

Peaceful protests over economic and social conditions have been recurrent in Morocco, but this week's demonstrations are the most violent since at least 2016 and 2017, when protesters clashed with security forces in the Rif region in the north.

The Interior Ministry will uphold the right to protest in accordance with legal procedures, and will respond with “restraint and self-control, avoiding provocation,” the spokesperson said.