Jump to content

Gen Z protests

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gen Z protests
Bangladeshi protests
Moroccan protests
Nepalese protests
Peruvian protests
Philippine protests
Italian protests
DateEarly 2020s–present
Location
Worldwide
Caused by
Methods
Resulted inSee Demonstrations described as Gen Z protests

The Gen Z protests are a series of worldwide protests predominantly led by Generation Z. While members of Generation Z have been involved in protests since the 2010s, the trend of demonstrations began with the Aragalaya in Sri Lanka in 2022.[1] The 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests popularized the term "Gen Z protests" and inspired further Gen Z protests in Asia. Days later, similar protests spread to Africa, Europe, and South America.

Although the causes of the protests differ per country, they have generally been in response to inequality, declining standards of living, corruption, democratic backsliding and authoritarianism. Social media has been a common tool for activism and coordination. Some protests, like in Bangladesh and Nepal, have resulted in the overthrow of national governments.

Background

See also: Political views of Generation Z

Some of the first political unrest Generation Z (people born between the mid-1990s and the early 2010s) experienced was related to the Great Recession and later into adulthood of some, issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]

Causes

See also: Youth bulge

The demonstrations have had a myriad of causes, varying from country to country. However, they generally relate to dissatisfaction with ruling governments, economic turmoil, and a large, disaffected, often unemployed youth population[3] that experienced declining standards of living due to difficulty accessing basic utilities and resources.[3][4][5] Rising social inequality has also been described as forming the common thread of the protests around the world,[2][6] ultimately feeling unrepresented by the political establishment while still respecting democratic values.[7] Climate change has also contributed to some political activism from Generation Z.[2]

History

See also: Gen Z protests in Asia

Since the late 2010s, members of Generation Z have led protests around the world in what some called the "Gen Z Movement".[8] The Gen Z protests in Asia, also called "Asian Spring" in reference to the Arab Spring, were identified by Le Monde as having begun with the Aragalaya, a series of Sri Lankan protests in 2022.[1] The term was later used to describe the 2024 Kenya Finance Bill protests, a largely youth-led mass protest movement against a controversial tax hike.[9]

The term garnered wider global popularity following the ousting of the Nepali government in 2025 and a string of concurrent protests that occurred around and after it.[10][failed verification] The global wave of demonstrations then reached further with similar youth-led protests springing up in Madagascar and Morocco.[11] In September, an unpopular pension reform and corruption scandals further sparked a self-styled "Gen Z march" in Lima, Peru.[12] The Gen Z protests had thus by that month reached the continents of Asia, Africa, and South America.[13] At the end of September, Italian media noted the large involvement of Gen Z protesters in the country's general strikes and protests for Gaza.[14][15][16] By the beginning of October 2025 was even described as a potential "year of the protest", a title that was previously applied to the year 2019.[6]

Methods

Social media

Members of Generation Z, who grew up in the age of the Internet,[17] have commonly used social media as a platform to organize and coordinate protests.[13][18][19] Protestors in Morocco and Nepal frequently communicated via the messaging platform Discord,[20][21] and other apps like Instagram, TikTok and Telegram have also been noted as platforms for communication and spreading awareness.[7]

While previous protests in Nepal were initially peaceful or online, a government ban on social media in September 2025 spurred direct action as Gen Z protestors claimed the ban as censorship. The protestors spread short videos on Facebook and TikTok alleging corruption and nepotism.[22] In Morocco, the "GenZ 212" Discord server surged from 3,000 members to over 150,000 by 2 October, showing the rapid spread of the movement among youth.[23] Online coordination, in particular using Discord, was also used for a followup political process in the Nepalese case: the online election of a temporary prime minister for a transitionary period.[24][25]

Symbols

A flag from the manga series One Piece is a frequent symbol of solidarity in the protests.

In various Gen Z protests, the Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger from the manga series One Piece has been used as an international symbol of solidarity.[26][27] This flag was first used in the protests in Indonesia.[28][29]

The first and the earliest use of the Straw Hat Pirate flag in protest activity in real-life world, was in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in October 2023 when thousands of Indonesians protest the Gaza war and Gaza crisis.[30] Almost two years later, student protesters in Indonesia had begun flying the flag again in February 2025.[31] The flag came into prominence during the 2025 Indonesian anti-government protests which started in the weeks leading up to Indonesia Independence Day on 17 August.[32]

In Nepal, when the government of K. P. Sharma Oli was toppled in Nepal, protesters hung the flag at the gates of the Singha Durbar palace as it burned.[26][33] It has also been used in the Philippines,[34] Peru,[29] and Madagascar.[35][18] The response to the use of the Straw Hat flag has been harsh, with an Indonesian lawmaker saying it was an attempt to divide national unity and another suggesting it could amount to treason,[34] drawing criticism from Amnesty International.[27]

In Southeast Asian countries, other pop culture symbols also have been used to signal defiance, among them references to Harry Potter and the three-finger salute from The Hunger Games.[34] Raqib Naik, director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate, said "I think we are entering a new era of organizing that draws heavily from digital, pop and gaming culture, creating a common vocabulary".[36]

In Turkey, the character Pikachu, from the Pokemon franchise, had become a symbol of the local Gen Z protests after someone dressed as Pikachu fleed from the Turkish police during the protests.[37][38][39]

Demonstrations described as Gen Z protests

Countries described as having Gen Z protests:
  Successful; government ended   Successful; protest demands met   Ongoing protests   Failed protests

Ended

Country Duration Cause(s) Results Outcome Ref.
2022
Sri Lanka Aragalaya
15 March – 14 November 2022 		Successful E Government overthrown [40]
Iran Mahsa Amini protests
16 September 2022 – 2023 		Failed
  • hundreds of people killed and tens of thousands beaten and/or detained in government crackdown
 E Major protests [41][42][43]
2024
Kenya Kenya Finance Bill protests
18 June – 8 August 2024 		Successful
  • Finance bill is unsigned and revoked
 E Major protests [10]
Bangladesh July Revolution
1 July – 5 August 2024 		Successful E Government overthrown [40]
Mozambique 2024–2025 Mozambican protests
11 October 2024 – 24 March 2025 		Failed
  • Daniel Chapo inaugurated 15 January
  • Chapo and Mondlane reach amnesty agreement for protesters 23 March
 E Major protests [44][45][46][47][44][45][46][47][44][45][46][47]E
South Korea Protests against Yoon Suk Yeol
3 December 2024 – 4 April 2025 		Successful C Protests and governmental changes [48][49]
2025
Turkey 2025 Turkish protests
19 March – 1 July 2025 		Failed E Major protests [50]
Mongolia 2025 Mongolian protests
14 May – 3 June 2025 		Successful C Protests and governmental changes [51]
  Nepal 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests
8–13 September 2025 		Successful E Government overthrown [13]
Timor-Leste 2025 Timor-Leste protests
15–17 September 2025
  • Proposed US$4 million budget to buy 65 new cars for members of parliament
 Successful
  • Purchase of cars canceled
  • Pensions ended for former MPs
 C Protests and governmental changes [52]
Madagascar 2025 Malagasy protests
25 September – 14 October 2025
  • Standards of living
 Successful E Government overthrown [13]

Ongoing

Country Duration Cause(s) Results Ref.
Since 2024
Serbia 2024–present Serbian anti-corruption protests
1 November 2024 – present 		Ongoing [53]
Since 2025
Indonesia 2025 Indonesian protests
17 February 2025 – present 		Ongoing [13]
Togo 2025 Togolese Gen Z protests
5 June 2025 – present
  • Arrest of the rapper Aamron
  • Unwanted constitutional reforms
  • Youth unemployment
  • Lack of democratic participation
  • Bad living conditions
  • High electricity costs
 Ongoing [54][55][56]
Philippines 2025 Philippine anti-corruption protests
4 September 2025 – present 		Ongoing [13]
France Bloquons tout
10 September 2025 – present 		Ongoing [57][58]
Italy 2025 Italian general strikes and protests for Gaza
19 September 2025 – present 		Ongoing [14][15][16]
 Switzerland
San Marino [59]
Maldives 2025 Maldivian protests
20 September 2025 – present 		Ongoing [60][61]
Peru 2025 Peruvian protests
20 September 2025 – present 		Ongoing [12]
Morocco 2025 Moroccan Gen Z protests
27 September 2025 – present 		Ongoing
  • Government raises healthcare and education spending to $15 billion in the 2026 budget, up 16% from the prior year
 [13][62]
Paraguay 2025 Paraguayan protests
28 September 2025 – present 		Ongoing [63]
Cameroon 2025 Cameroonian protests

12 October 2025 – present

Ongoing [64]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Dieterich, Carole; Landrin, Sophie; Pedroletti, Brice (29 September 2025). "Asia's Gen Z rises up against entrenched political elites". Le Monde. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Carnegie, Megan (8 August 2022). "Gen Z: How young people are changing activism". BBC News. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  3. ^ a b Kimathi, Sharon Kits; Kimathi, Sharon Kits (2 October 2025). "Sustainable Switch: Gen Z protests spread across the globe". Reuters. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  4. ^ "How Gen Z-led protests are rattling governments across Asia". NBC News. 15 September 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  5. ^ "Gen Z and student protests". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  6. ^ a b Stechyson, Natalie (3 October 2025). "Gen-Z protests are spreading globally. What's driving this youth-led movement?". CBC News. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  7. ^ a b Fox, Kara (4 October 2025). "From Morocco to Madagascar, Gen Z is taking digital dissent offline". CNN. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  8. ^ Chen, Li-Li (7 October 2025). "The Gen Z Movement Comes to Timor-Leste". The Diplomat. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  9. ^ Mbugua, Judy. "Why Kenya's Gen Z Has Taken to the Streets". Journal of Democracy. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  10. ^ a b Bartlett, Kate (2 October 2025). "From Madagascar to Morocco: Gen Z protests shake Africa". NPR. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  11. ^ Gbadamosi, Nosmot (9 October 2025). "What's Behind Africa's Sweeping Gen Z Protests". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  12. ^ a b Buschschlüter, Vanessa (29 September 2025). "Young Peruvians clash with police in anti-government protests". BBC News. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g Greene, Connor (2 October 2025). "What to Know About the 'Gen Z' Protests Around the World". TIME. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  14. ^ a b Insolia, Mattia. "La marea umana di Milano per Gaza: «Vi aiutiamo noi a definire bambino»". Domani (in Italian). Retrieved 8 October 2025. [THE GEN Z There are many high school students, university students. Many have a kefiah around their necks or Luffy's flag from One Piece, the manga; it is the symbol of Gen Z for protests about Palestine. ... They are between sixteen and nineteen years old and, aware that the future is theirs - that the future is theirs -, they took to the streets because they don't want it, this world that previous generations insist on trying to stick in their heads.]
  15. ^ a b Maggioni, Roberto (5 October 2025). "Un movimento che in pochi hanno visto arrivare e con cui tutti si dovranno confrontare". Radio Popolare (in Italian). Retrieved 8 October 2025. [The anger against the genocide has blown up the cap of Italian political and social immobility. ... These days will remain in history especially if we look at them through the eyes of Gen Z, the generation of those under 25 years old, a generation that thought was closed in post-Covid hardship and that, instead, is occupying public space and is speaking, without leaders or organizations already structured.]
  16. ^ a b Moro, Elisabetta (3 October 2025). "Avere vent'anni e scendere in piazza: gli studenti occupano le università e i licei per Gaza". Cosmopolitan (in Italian). Retrieved 8 October 2025. [The protests of Gen Z in Nepal, Morocco, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Peru to demand less corrupt governments. ... And now in Europe, and especially in Italy, the occupied universities and the protests after the Israeli army blocked the mission of the Global Sumud Flotilla. All over the world, young people are making their voices heard, they are invading the streets, creating unrest, asking to be heard.]
  17. ^ Wong, Tessa (23 September 2025). "Gen Z uprising in Asia shows social media is a double-edged sword". BBC News. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  18. ^ a b Chow, Yanni (1 October 2025). "The Rise and Spread of Gen Z Protests". Vision of Humanity. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  19. ^ Ikoku, Obiora (7 September 2025). "A Year Later, Africa's Gen Z Uprising Is Only More Emboldened". ZNetwork. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  20. ^ Sauvage, Grégoire (2 October 2025). "Generation Z is stirring up rebellion across borders, from Morocco to Madagascar". France 24. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  21. ^ Taheri, Mandy (3 October 2025). "From Morocco to Nepal, Gen Z Is Using Discord To Rise Up". Newsweek. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  22. ^ KC, Luna (25 September 2025). "Gen Z protests brought about change in Nepal via the powers — and perils — of social media". The Conversation. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  23. ^ Eljechtimi, Ahmed (2 October 2025). "Morocco's prime minister calls for dialogue as nightly protests grow more violent". Reuters. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
  24. ^ Samik Kharel (15 September 2025). "'More egalitarian': How Nepal's Gen Z used gaming app Discord to pick PM". aljazeera.com. Wikidata Q136433026. Archived from the original on 16 September 2025.
  25. ^ Baskar, Pranav (11 September 2025). "Nepal's Social Media Ban Backfires as Politics Moves to a Chat Room". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  26. ^ a b Harvey, Lex (20 September 2025). "This Japanese manga flag has become a global protest symbol for Gen Z". CNN. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  27. ^ a b Bartlett, Kate (5 October 2025). "Why Gen Z protesters worldwide are flying an anime pirate flag". NPR. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  28. ^ "How a fictional flag fueled real-life revolution". The Kathmandu Post. 26 September 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
  29. ^ a b "Hoist the jolly manga: Gen Z protesters rally to One Piece pirate flag". France 24. 3 October 2025. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  30. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  31. ^ "What the 'One Piece' pirate flag means in Gen Z protests – DW – 10/08/2025". dw.com. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  32. ^ Raidi (1 August 2025). "One Piece Pirate Flag Rises Across Indonesia Ahead the Independence Day". Indonesia Sentinel. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  33. ^ "Why this animated pirate flag has become part of Gen Z-led protests worldwide".
  34. ^ a b c Ratcliffe, Rebecca (24 September 2025). "'A symbol of liberation': how the One Piece manga flag became the symbol of Asia's gen Z protest movement". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  35. ^ Tétaud, Sarah (25 September 2025). "Madagascar imposes nighttime curfew after violent protests over water and power cuts". AP News. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  36. ^ Bennhold, Katrin; Baskar, Pranav (30 September 2025). "The Activists and the Anime". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  37. ^ Mukul, Sushim (28 March 2025). "Pikachu electrifies Turkey protests, makes the world take note". India Today. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  38. ^ Greyman-Kennard, Danielle (30 March 2025). "WATCH: Pikachu goes viral fleeing Turkish police at anti-Erdogan protest". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  39. ^ Sezer, Can (29 March 2025). "Large crowds rally in Istanbul over jailing of Erdogan's main rival". Reuters. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  40. ^ a b Sharma, Yashraj. "Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka: Is South Asia fertile for Gen Z revolutions?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  41. ^ Dagres, Holly (10 October 2025). "From Discord to the Streets: Gen Z's Moment in the Middle East". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  42. ^ "Iran protests: Iran's Gen Z 'realise life can be lived differently'". 14 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  43. ^ "Iran's rising Generation Z at the forefront of protests". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  44. ^ a b c "Mozambique: Over 2,790 still detained one year after election protests – Plataforma Decide report". Club of Mozambique. 21 October 2025. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  45. ^ a b c Princewill, Nimi (18 October 2025). "Gen Z protesters toppled Madagascar's president. Should other African leaders worry?". CNN. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  46. ^ a b c Mengo, Onyonge (17 December 2024). "Digital activism in Africa and the Gen Z protests: the youth are leading the way". Hivos. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  47. ^ a b c Gbadamosl, Nosmot (22 January 2025). "Mozambique Forms Government Amid Protests". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  48. ^ Banda, Kaeleigh (2 September 2025). "Busting the myth that Gen Z isn't protesting". Waging Nonviolence. Gen Z women led pro-democracy rallies in 2024 against the president of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. The movement utilized pop culture, including K-pop music and lightsticks, to provide a sense of unity and energize the movement to impeach the president.
  49. ^ "South Korea's Gen-Z divided over political crisis". France 24. 13 January 2025. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  50. ^ "A new threat to Erdogan: Gen Z". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 3 June 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  51. ^ "Gen Z anger at ruling elites is erupting across the world". The Straits Times. 4 October 2025. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  52. ^ Rachman, Joseph (7 October 2025). "Timor-Leste's Protests Fit Into a Regional Trend". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  53. ^ Üçok, Ecem Nazlı. "How Gen-Z students are leading transnational resistance". European Consortium for Political Research. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  54. ^ "Togo: Gnassingbe dynasty faces youth-led protests – DW – 06/26/2025". dw.com. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  55. ^ Matthews, Daanyaal (17 July 2025). "Togo's youth in protest following controversial change to constitution". Voice of the Cape. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  56. ^ "Generation Z has a new target: the dynasty running Togo". The Africa Report.com. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  57. ^ Bussigny, Nora (9 September 2025). "«On va marquer l'histoire»: sur TikTok, la Gen Z prête à «tout bloquer» le 10 septembre". Le Point (in French). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  58. ^ Sarwindaningrum, Irene (11 September 2025). "French Police Beat Gen Z Protesters". Kompas (in Indonesian). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  59. ^ Quadrelli, Valentina (22 September 2025). "Manifestazione per la Palestina a San Marino: "Non si può più stare in silenzio"" [Protest for Palestine in San Marino: "We can no longer remain silent"]. San Marino RTV. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  60. ^ Rasheed, Zaheena. "'War on free speech': Outcry after Maldives passes controversial media bill". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  61. ^ Sarkar, Shankhyaneel. "Anti-Muizzu Protests Rock Maldives Over Corruption Allegations; Police Arrest 8 After Clashes". News18. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  62. ^ "Morocco to boost health, education spending to $15 billion in 2026". Reuters. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  63. ^ "Another Gen Z uprising?: Protests in Paraguay against the Peña government". People´s Dispatch. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  64. ^ "Opinion: Africa's Gen Z may yet drive out the continent's despotic leaders". The Globe and Mail. 24 October 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gen_Z_protests&oldid=1318931096"