As "yellow vest" protests have cropped up further afield, hundreds of traders in the northern city of Meknes in Morocco were spotted wearing yellow vests during demonstrations against an increase in taxes. Walking from the Old Town district of Meknes to the city center, the traders said the country's economic situation has deteriorated. Some merchants in the Old City supported the protests by closing the shutters. The Moroccan government responded to the protests by stating that the only solution to the tax issue is to keep the doors for dialogue open.

"The doors of the Ministries of Finance and Commerce are open to traders to find solutions to their demands through dialogue," government spokesman Mustafa al-Halefi said in a press statement, as reported by Anadolu Agency (AA).

The yellow vest revolt in France over the high cost of living has sparked copycat protests worldwide, having spread from Europe to other continents. In December, Moroccan workers from both the private and public sectors, wearing the yellow vests which are considered a symbol of the movement, staged demonstrations in Rabat to demand better pay and improved living conditions.