'Gen Z' protesters lead global wave of generational discontent

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'Gen Z' protesters lead global wave of generational discontent

2025-10-16 12:58 Last Updated At：13:10

NEW DELHI (AP) — From the Andes to the Himalayas, a new wave of protests is unfolding across the world, driven by generational discontent against governments and anger among young people.

This week, Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina was forced out of power and out of the country after a military mutiny, the culmination of weeks of demonstrations led by young protesters referring to themselves as “Gen Z Madagascar.”

The rage against the political establishment in the Indian Ocean island country mirrors other recent protests across the world, in countries like Nepal, the Philippines, Indonesia, Kenya, Peru and Morocco. These protests have been sparked by specific grievances but are driven by long-simmering issues like widening inequality, economic uncertainty, corruption, and nepotism of leaders.

But they have one thing in common: Mostly leaderless, they are made up primarily of young people who brand themselves as “Gen Z,” defined as those born roughly between 1996 and 2010 — the first generation to grow up entirely in the internet age.

“What connects these youth-led protests is a shared sense that traditional political systems aren’t responsive to their generation’s concerns, whether that’s corruption, climate change, or economic inequality. Protest then becomes the logical outlet when institutional channels feel blocked,” said Sam Nadel, director of Social Change Lab, a U.K.-based nonprofit that researches protests and social movements.

Though their specific demands differ, most of these protests have been sparked by government overreach or neglect. Some have also confronted harsh treatment by security forces and brutal repression.

In Morocco, a leaderless collective called Gen Z 212 — named after Morocco’s dialing code — has taken to the streets to demand better public services and increased spending on health and education. In Peru, protests over a pension law exploded into broader demands, including action to tackle rising insecurity and widespread corruption in the government. In Indonesia, deadly protests have erupted over lawmakers’ perks and the cost of living, forcing the president to replace key economic and security ministers.

The most widely recognized movement to be dubbed as a “Gen Z” protest was a deadly uprising in Nepal that culminated with the resignation of the prime minister in September. Protesters drew inspiration from successful anti-government movements elsewhere in South Asia — Sri Lanka in 2022 and Bangladesh in 2024 — which led to the ouster of incumbent regimes.

In Madagascar in turn, protesters say they were particularly inspired by the movements in Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The protests began against regular water and electricity cuts but quickly morphed into wider discontent, as demonstrators called for the president and other ministers to step down. On Wednesday, Madagascar’s military coup leader said he is “taking the position of president.”

Across multiple countries, a singular pop culture symbol has emerged: a black flag showing a grinning skull and crossbones wearing a straw hat. The flag comes from a cult Japanese manga and anime series called “One Piece,” which follows a crew of pirates as they take on corrupt governments.

In Nepal, protesters hung the same flag on the gates of the Singha Durbar, the seat of the Nepalese government, and on ministries, many of which were torched in protests. It was also hoisted by crowds in Indonesia, the Philippines, Morocco and Madagascar.

Last week in the Peruvian capital, Lima, 27-year-old electrician David Tafur stood with the same flag in San Martín Square, now the stage for weekly protests.

“We’re fighting the same battle — against corrupt officials who, in our case, are also killers,” he said, recalling that President Dina Boluarte’s government held on to power since December 2022 despite more than 500 protests and the deaths of 50 civilians.

“In my case, it’s outrage over abuse of power, corruption, the deaths,” Tafur said, referring to the sharp rise in murders and extortion plaguing the South American country since 2017, amid new laws that have weakened efforts to fight crime.

Boluarte had been under investigation for months over various allegations including bribery and involvement in a deadly crackdown on protesters in 2022. She was replaced last week by interim President José Jerí.

Tafur said that wasn’t enough.

“The president is an ally of Congress and has to go,” he said.

Many significant protests in the past, like Occupy Wall Street in 2011, the Arab Spring between 2010 and 2012, and the 2014 Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong, have been led by younger people. While they also used the internet and social media for mass mobilization, the “Gen Z” protesters are taking it to another level.

“Digital platforms are powerful tools for information sharing and building connections, but the most effective movements often combine digital mobilization with traditional in-person organizing, as we’ve seen in these recent protests,” said Nadel from Social Change Lab.

Days before the deadly protests began in Nepal, the government announced a ban on most social media platforms for not complying with a registration deadline. Many young Nepalese viewed it as an attempt to silence them and began accessing social media sites through virtual private networks to evade detection.

Over the next few days, they used TikTok, Instagram and X to spotlight the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children, highlighting disparities between Nepal’s rich and poor, and announce planned rallies and venues. Later, some of them also used the gaming chat platform Discord to suggest who to nominate as an interim leader for the country.

“Whatever movement happens, whether against corruption or injustice, it spreads through digital media. The same happened in Nepal. The changes that took place after the Gen Z protests in Nepal spread globally through digital platforms, influencing other countries as well,” said protester Yujan Rajbhandari.

He said the protests in Nepal awakened not only the youth but also other generations.

“We realized that we are global citizens and the digital space connects us all and plays a powerful role across the world,” Rajbhandari said.

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Associated Press journalists Franklin Briceño in Lima, Peru, and Niranjan Shrestha in Kathmandu, Nepal, contributed to this report.

Trump threatens to use the Insurrection Act to end protests in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke an 1807 law and deploy troops to quell persistent protests against the federal officers sent to Minneapolis to enforce his administration's massive immigration crackdown.

The threat comes a day after a man was shot and wounded by an immigration officer who had been attacked with a shovel and broom handle. That shooting further heightened the fear and anger that has radiated across the city since an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renee Good in the head.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used federal law, to deploy the U.S. military or federalize the National Guard for domestic law enforcement, over the objections of state governors. In 2020, for example, he threatened to use the act to quell protests after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police, and in recent months he threatened to use it for immigration protests.

“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State,” Trump said in social media post.

Presidents have invoked the law more than two dozen times, most recently in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush to end unrest in Los Angeles. In that instance, local authorities had asked for the assistance.

“I’m making a direct appeal to the President: Let’s turn the temperature down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are,” Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, said on X.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he would challenge any such action in court. He's already suing to try to stop the surge by the Department of Homeland Security, which says officers have arrested more than 2,500 people since Nov. 29 as part of an immigration operation in the Twin Cities called Metro Surge.

The operation grew when ICE sent 2,000 officers and agents to the area early in January. ICE is a DHS agency.

In Minneapolis, smoke filled the streets Wednesday night near the site of the latest shooting as federal officers wearing gas masks and helmets fired tear gas into a small crowd. Protesters responded by throwing rocks and shooting fireworks.

Demonstrations have become common in Minneapolis since Good was fatally shot on Jan. 7. Agents who have yanked people from their cars and homes have been confronted by angry bystanders demanding they leave.

“This is an impossible situation that our city is presently being put in and at the same time we are trying to find a way forward to keep people safe,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of three people who said they were questioned or detained in recent days. The lawsuit says two are Somali and one is Hispanic; all three are U.S. citizens. The lawsuit seeks an end to what the ACLU describes as a practice of racial profiling and warrantless arrests. The government did not immediately comment.

Similar lawsuits have been filed in Los Angeles and Chicago and despite seeing initial success, have tended to fizzle in the face of appeal. In Chicago, for example, last year a judge ordered a senior U.S. Border Patrol official to brief her nightly following a lawsuit by news outlets and protesters who said agents used too much force during demonstrations. But three days later, an appeals court stopped the updates.

Homeland Security said in a statement that federal law enforcement officers on Wednesday stopped a driver from Venezuela who is in the U.S. illegally. The person drove off then crashed into a parked car before fleeing on foot, DHS said.

Officers caught up, then two other people arrived and the three started attacking the officer, according to DHS.

“Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life,” DHS said. The confrontation took place about 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) from where Good was killed.

Police chief Brian O’Hara said the man who was shot did not have a life-threatening injury. O’Hara's account of what happened largely echoed that of Homeland Security, which later said the other two men were also in the U.S. illegally from Venezuela.

The FBI said several government vehicles were damaged and property inside was stolen when agents responded to the shooting. Photos show broken windows and insults made with paint. A reward of up to $100,000 is being offered for information. The FBI’s Minneapolis office did not immediately reply to messages seeking more details.

St. Paul Public Schools, with more than 30,000 students, said it would begin offering an online learning option for students who do not feel comfortable coming to school. Schools will be closed next week until Thursday to prepare for those accommodations.

Minneapolis Public Schools, which has a similar enrollment, is also offering temporary remote learning. The University of Minnesota will start a new term next week with different options depending on the class.

Madhani reported from Washington, D.C. and Golden reported from Seattle. Associated Press reporters Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Bill Barrow in Atlanta; Rebecca Santana in Washington; and Ed White in Detroit contributed.