Creative and defiant, Gen Z are proving to be far more than the supposedly apolitical generation lost in social media. What's driving Gen Z youth to take to the streets around the world, and are they on track to bring real political change?

Gen Z activists are staging protests in countries including Peru, Morocco, Madagascar, Serbia, and Nepal, addressing a range of issues from political change and censorship to poverty and lack of job opportunities. These demonstrations are characterized by digital organization on platforms like TikTok and Discord, as well as the use of creative symbols such as memes and anime flags.

Though their specific grievances vary—ranging from blackouts in Madagascar to censorship in Nepal—Gen Z protesters share a sense of determination and a drive for a more secure future. While not yet a coordinated global movement, these youth-led actions reflect a common desire for change and are challenging perceptions of Gen Z as politically inactive.

Gen Z protests around the world

From Peru to Morocco, from Madagascar to Serbia, Gen Z is taking to the streets. Coincidence or the start of a global movement? In Nepal, youth protests led to political change. The image of young people of the masses overthrowing a government can be very empowering and that can triggers or at least inspires people in other countries to try the same thing. Now, demonstrations have erupted across the globe. This is about inequality and this is about young people feeling that they have no future. And we're talking about job opportunities, access to public infrastructure, simple things. What else unites them? They're creative, think memes and anime flags. They're digital, organized on TikTok and Discord. They're determined and sometimes violent, challenging power even under threat. But their grievances are also diverse. In Nepal, censorship. In Madagascar, blackouts and poverty. In Morocco, a World Cup dream that's left the people behind. People tend to overlook Gen Z as brain rot generation, as TikTok generation that are politically inactive, right? But I would say that I think now we see that they are driven and they actually want a secure, a better future. Not only for themselves, but their entire generation. So it may not be a global movement yet, but young people in different countries are rallying around the same symbols.

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