Global Protests Sweep Political Landscapes
That unrest in September 2025 formed part of a wider international phenomenon. Researchers have documented at least 25 protests worldwide involving participants aged 14 to 29, according to the Guardian.
Digital Mobilization Drives Global Political Awakening
Young people account for roughly a third of the world’s population. Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard Kennedy School, wrote in a recent essay that Gen Z is experiencing a global political awakening, the Guardian reported.
Activists used digital infrastructure to coordinate actions across continents. Organizers used TikTok and X to amplify grievances, while Discord servers enabled decentralized planning, the Guardian reported.
Demonstrations Shift Power in Dhaka and Belgrade
In 2024, students in Dhaka, Bangladesh, led what was described as the world’s first successful Gen Z-led revolution. The demonstrations began over a quota law before transforming into widespread opposition against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who eventually resigned and fled the country by helicopter, the Associated Press reported via the Guardian.
Two years later, student movements in Serbia reached the halls of power. Protesters pushed back against a government that tightened control over media and institutions, ultimately ousting Aleksandar Vučić in elections and ending his party’s 14-year hold on power, the Guardian reported.
Students Marching to Polls in North Carolina
Students continued pushing for change by marching to polls in North Carolina after their historically Black university was denied a polling site.
Meanwhile, online mobilization and street marches helped drive Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s presidential campaign comeback in Brazil, demonstrating how youth movements continue to shape national electoral outcomes, the Guardian reported.
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