The waves of protests against unemployment, corruption, and poor living standards around the world are striking primarily because of those who are leading them. Young people are using social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to spread information and organize demonstrations.
While some of these protests have remained peaceful, others - such as those led by youth in Indonesia and Nepal - have turned violent. Ten people died in protests in Indonesia in late August, when public anger over the cost of living and social inequality exploded after police shot a delivery man.
In Nepal, 72 people have died as demonstrations against a social media ban in early September turned into mass protests against political instability, elite corruption and economic stagnation. Generation Z groups leading the protests said the movement had been “hijacked” by opportunistic infiltrators.
In recent weeks, young people, apparently inspired by movements in Indonesia and Nepal, have been protesting against their governments in three other countries.
Peru
Hundreds of young people marched through Peru's capital, Lima, in late September to protest pension reforms that would require young Peruvians to contribute to private pension funds. A week later, the protesters were joined by transport workers, who marched toward the Congress building in downtown Lima.
During the clashes on September 29th - during a protest organized by the youth collective "Generation Z" - the crowd threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the police, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, injuring at least 18 demonstrators.
The protests come months after Peru's president, Dina Boluarte, issued a decree doubling her salary. The move, made despite a historically low approval rating of just 2%, was called "scandalous" by many Peruvian social media users.
Young people in the country face job insecurity and high unemployment, while many argue that the government is not doing enough to combat gang racketeering, corruption and growing insecurity.
Reports of extortion cases in Peru have increased sixfold in the last five years. Data published in 2024 by the Peruvian research agency Datum Internacional shows that around 38% of Peruvians claim to know of cases of extortion in their environment.
Recent pension reforms have further fueled existing discontent. On October 9, after weeks of calls for the resignation of Dina Boluarte's government, Peruvian lawmakers voted to dismiss her. New elections are scheduled for April 2026.
Morocco
An anonymous youth collective called Gen Z 212 - a reference to Morocco's international dialing code - is at the center of protests that have spread to ten Moroccan cities since September 27.
The group organized and coordinated demonstrations via TikTok and Instagram, as well as the gaming and streaming platform Discord. Gen Z 212’s Discord membership grew from less than 1.000 when the channel launched on September 18 to more than 180.000 by October 8.
The movement began in August after eight women died during maternity care at a public hospital in Agadir, a city on Morocco's southern coast. The event sparked a wave of outrage over the state of public services in the country.
According to World Bank data from 2023, Morocco has only 7,8 doctors per 10.000 inhabitants - well below the World Health Organization standard, which recommends at least 23 doctors per 10,000 people.
Meanwhile, Morocco is spending $5 billion to build the world's largest soccer stadium, as part of preparations to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain. Many Moroccans believe the government has misplaced its priorities. Crowds chanted slogans like: "We want hospitals, not soccer stadiums."
Police responded to the protests by arresting hundreds of people, and in some parts of the country there were violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces. Three people were killed on October 1 in what authorities said was “legitimate defense” after demonstrators allegedly tried to storm a police station in the village of Lklia, near Agadir.
Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Ahanoush has called on Gen Z 212 to engage in dialogue with the government, and the group has submitted a list of demands covering basic needs such as education, healthcare, housing, transportation, and employment. However, the protests have continued.
Madagascar
At least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured during anti-government protests across Madagascar in the first week of October. The protests were coordinated by an online movement known as Gen Z Mada - although once the demonstrations began, unions, civil society organizations, and several politicians also joined in.
The movement began after the arrest of two politicians, Clemence Raharinirine and Baba Faniri Rakotoariso, on September 19. Both publicly called on citizens to peacefully demonstrate in the capital, Antananarivo, due to problems with the island's water and electricity supply.
The demonstrations initially focused on the lack of basic necessities, an electricity crisis, unemployment and corruption, but quickly escalated into calls for the resignation of Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina, whom protesters hold responsible for the problems facing the country.
Rajoelina tried to calm the protests by dissolving his government and calling for a “national dialogue” with the Gen Z Mada movement. In a speech on state television, he said: “We acknowledge and apologize if the members of the government did not fulfill the tasks entrusted to them.”
However, this move did not stop the protests. Rajoelina then appointed Roupin Fortunat Zafisamba, an army general, as the new prime minister and imposed a strict curfew in Antananarivo, with a heavy security presence, in an attempt to quell the protests.
The protesters, however, vowed to continue the fight, waving banners reading “Rajoelina out.” The president, meanwhile, fled the country after factions of the army joined the protesters.
In leading the fight against inequality, young people in developing countries are following a well-trodden path. Youth-led protests in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have brought down governments in recent years. These movements seem to be inspiring young people around the world to become empowered and demand more from entrenched elites.
Translation: NB
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