The 1981 Moroccan riots (Arabic: احتجاجات 1981 بالمغرب, also referred to as شهداء كوميرة The Bread Martyrs^[2]), also known as the Casablanca bread riots,^[3] broke out on May 29, 1981, in Casablanca, Morocco—a major event in the Years of Lead under Hassan II of Morocco.^[4][5] The revolt was driven by price increases in basic food supplies.^[4][5] This intifada was the first of two IMF riots in Morocco—dubbed the "Hunger Revolts" by the international press—the second taking place in 1984 primarily in northern cities such as Nador, Al Hoceima, Tetouan, and Ksar el-Kebir.^[5][6]

Morocco was economically strained from six years in the Western Sahara War.^[4] The cost of basic foods soared, with the prices of flour up 40%, sugar 50%, oil 28%, milk 14%, and butter 76%.^[5] A general strike was organized in response.^[4]

Thousands of young people from the impoverished shanty towns surrounding Casablanca formed large mobs and proceeded to destroy symbols of wealth in the city, including buses, banks, pharmacies, grocery stores, and expensive cars.^[4] Police and military units fired into the crowds.^[4] The government's official death toll was 66, while the opposition reported a much higher number of 637. Most of the fatalities were youths from the slums shot to death.^[4]

The state's response to extreme violence in Casablanca in 1981 led to a shift in urban governance strategies in marginalized areas like Hay Mohammadi. The state recognized the need for a new approach, focusing on territorializing its power by making its presence visible through administrative restructuring and monumental urban works. This approach aimed to exert greater control and security in these areas, emphasizing the state's authority and influence.^[7]