Global Wave of Gen Z Protests Hits Africa, Asia, and South America

Youth-led protests have erupted across Africa, Asia, and South America in recent weeks. The protests have led to dozens of deaths, arrests, and the collapse of governments in Nepal and Madagascar, according to BBC News.

The movements have been largely fuelled by Generation Z and have been driven by frustration over government corruption, economic insecurity, and failing public services.

In Morocco, protests sparked by anger over funding for the 2030 World Cup instead of public healthcare and education have left three dead. Demonstrators chanted, “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?” Police opened fire on protestors in Leqliaa, killing two people. Authorities called it “legitimate self-defense.” Over 400 people have been arrested, and more than 250 injured, the BBC News reported.

Meanwhile, Madagascar’s president, Andry Rajoelina, dissolved his government after deadly clashes over water and power shortages. “I understand the anger,” he said in a televised address. Youth activists have called the suspension of protests in the capital a “strategy,” not a retreat.

Protests have also escalated in Peru and the Philippines, where young demonstrators are demanding action on poverty, extortion, and the loss of public funds. Placards read,

Earlier in September in Nepal, mass protests forced the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign after a social media ban and ongoing corruption scandals. A protest leader said he would build a “movement for change.”