Gen Z Protests
OVERVIEW
Gen Z has increasingly emerged as a key actor in global protest movements, utilizing digital platforms to demand systemic reforms in areas such as climate change, labor rights, and political accountability. Gen Z-led protests have occurred in various regions, including South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, North Africa, and South America, reflecting a heightened political awareness, tech fluency, and transnational connectivity among the youth. Governments’ responses have varied from concessions to crackdowns, with broader implications for regional stability and governance.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Since the beginning of this year, Gen Z-led protests have intensified across multiple continents, often coinciding with economic shocks, policy announcements, or high-profile social issues. Early demonstrations were largely localized but rapidly expanded as digital coordination allowed activists to replicate tactics across cities. Authorities have frequently responded with temporary road closures, police deployments, and limited arrests, while governments in some countries offered minor concessions or engaged in public dialogue. These protests have disrupted urban transportation, educational institutions, and commercial activity, particularly in major cities, highlighting the generation’s capacity to quickly mobilize and impose tangible pressure on governments.
Recent Gen Z protests include:
September 29, 2025: Youth-led protests erupted in Morocco across several cities, including Rabat and Casablanca, demanding better public health and education systems. The demonstrations, organized by an anonymous group called “GenZ 212” via social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Discord, were met with a heavy security crackdown, resulting in dozens of arrests.
September 25, 2025: Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, saw the eruption of youth-led protests demanding reliable access to water and electricity. The protests, inspired by recent Gen Z uprisings in Nepal, led to the resignation of Prime Minister Christian Ntsay. President Andry Rajoelina announced the dissolution of the government in response to the unrest.
September 20, 2025: Protesters rallied following reforms to Peru's pension system. The protests, fueled by longstanding anger against President Dina Boluarte and Congress, resulted in at least 19 injuries as demonstrators clashed with security forces.
September 4, 2025: Nepal experienced widespread Gen Z-led protests following the government’s suspension of 26 social media platforms. The protests, characterized by demonstrations, student activism, and internet activism, led to the resignation of Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli, the dissolution of the House of Representatives, and the appointment of Sushila Karki as Interim Prime Minister.
September 3, 2025: In Indonesia, public and student-led anti-government demonstrations occurred in response to reports lawmakers were receiving substantial housing allowances, leading to widespread public outrage. The demonstrations have continued across several cities, reflecting deep-seated frustrations with economic inequality and political corruption.
August 5, 2024: University students in Bangladesh led a nationwide uprising demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, citing systemic corruption and political stagnation. The protests quickly escalated into mass mobilizations across Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet, resulting in her eventual removal from office. This marked one of the most consequential Gen Z-led political movements in recent history.
ROOTS AND CAUSES
The rise of Gen Z-led protests has underpinned the structural socioeconomic pressures and generational shift in political discourse. Across many countries, young people have faced worsening economic uncertainty: high unemployment, rising living cost, and limited upward mobility.
In Nepal and Bangladesh, grievances were centred on education systems, job quotas and corruption, highlighting how weak labor markets disproportionately affect younger people entering adulthood.
In Morocco and Madagascar, frustration over poor public services, healthcare, education, electricity, and water, demonstrate how governance shortfalls translate into daily hardships for youth, fueling disillusionment with established political elites. These conditions created fertile ground for mobilization, with Gen Z seeing protests as a tool to demand accountability from their leaders.
The social media dimension of the Gen Z protests is also allowing rapid coordination, narrative framing, and amplification of grievances.
In Nepal, the government’s decision to ban major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp struck directly at the generation’s primary means of communication, turning digital restriction into a trigger for violent unrest.
Similarly, in Morocco, groups such as “GenZ 212” have harnessed platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to stage flash protests, bypassing traditional party structures or labor unions. This reliance on digital networks not only accelerates the speed of mobilization but it allows protests to sustain momentum despite leaderless or decentralized organization.
Underlying these movements is a generational identity defined by increasing expectations and declining trust in institutions. Gen Z is more globally connected, exposed to comparative standards of governance, opportunity, and social justice, while simultaneously experiencing firsthand the consequences of issues that affect them.
For instance, in Peru and Indonesia, protests against pension reforms or elite privileges reflect a broader rejection of entrenched political systems seen as unresponsive to youth demands.
OUTLOOK AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Concentric assesses these mobilizations are unlikely to remain isolated incidents with Gen Z-led protests likely to recur in cycles, intensify during economic or political shocks, and expand across borders as movements inspire one another. Future protest waves will likely blend street demonstrations with online activism, creating a dual pressure on governments to include disruption of urban infrastructure on the ground and reputational costs amplified globally through social media. This layered approach enables Gen Z movements to remain resilient even in the face of crackdowns, as narratives and coordination shift to digital spaces. Governments that rely heavily on bans, censorship, or force are particularly vulnerable to escalation, as seen in Nepal and Morocco, where restrictive measures became catalysts for larger demonstrations. Economic policy shifts, climate-related shocks, and corruption scandals will likely serve as flashpoints for future mobilizations.
Concentric assesses these dynamics could generate persistent disruption for governments, businesses, and organizations operating in affected regions. We recommend organizations consider the following measures:
Monitor political and social sentiment closely, with an emphasis on youth-led movements, social media activity, and potential triggers such as new legislation, subsidy cuts, or corruption scandals.
Develop contingency plans for protest-related disruptions to transportations, internet access, and public services in major urban areas.
Conduct scenario-based risk assessments before deployment or operations in protest-prone regions, accounting for the possibility of rapid escalations and localized unrest.
Ensure consistent check-ins with the relevant embassy to remain informed of local developments.
HOW CONCENTRIC CAN HELP
Concentric offers a suite of services designed to mitigate risks and enable secure business operations in unpredictable environments:
Travel Risk Assessments and Alerting: Concentric offers customized reports offering real-time, itinerary-focused evaluations of changing geopolitical, security, and environmental conditions. We also offer tailored, real-time intelligence based on travelers’ live locations and planned movements.
OSINT and Deep and Dark Web Monitoring: Concentric provides 24/7 surveillance of open source and hidden digital channels, delivering timely insights on emerging risks and security threats.
Evacuation & Contingency Planning: Concentric’s team of intelligence and security professionals offer logistical support for crisis management, and localized assistance during emergencies.
Through Concentric’s advanced geopolitical intelligence strategies, businesses can effectively navigate travel risks, safeguard their personnel, and ensure operational continuity across global environments. For more information or to arrange a consultation to enhance your organization’s travel security capabilities, please contact our Global Intelligence team today.
