There is a revolution happening right now. Across the globe, millions of Gen-Z youths are toppling governments. What started as isolated protests in Asia have spread to Europe, Africa, and South America. While each protest is different, targeting issues of government corruption, economic inequality and declining standards of living, they are all motivated by hope.
Protests inSri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mongolia, and Nepal have seen their governments overthrown. Right now, these countries are rebuilding what their former leaders left behind. The order of business has become appointing new representatives, fixing the economy, and improving the quality of life. Some have dedicated their efforts to investigating corruption in the exiled government, but most are squarely focused on rebuilding.
However, it’s important to note that removing a Government’s leaders from positions of power does not guarantee that the new system will be led by the people.
In Madagascar, youth protesters successfully removed President Andry Rajoelina with military assistance; however, the military soon took control to fill the power vacuum. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reports that the Malagasy military promises to hold elections within two years, but the military has removed the electoral commission, a key democratic institution. The military takeover was met with backlash from the international community. The United Nations, European Union, and African Union condemned the coup, saying it was unconstitutional, overthrowing the elected civilian government to put the military. Despite the fact that some protests have generated change (both positive and negative), there are still a number of unresolved struggles.
Protests in the Philippines, Indonesia, Serbia, Morocco, and Peru have notably not addressed undesirable issues. These protests are primarily driven by credible allegations of government corruption. In most instances, governments are accused of failing to improve faulty infrastructure, or provide basic public services. In 2024, a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, Serbia collapsed, killing 16 people. Outrage in Serbia spread, leading to nationwide protests. Later, Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned. In Indonesia, two months ago during the middle of a demonstration, police in Jakarta ran over a delivery driver without punishment, sparking further outrage. Many have begun to question what governments are doing to prevent often violent or destructive youth protests.
The most common solution is, unfortunately, using force against a country’s citizens. In Serbia and Nepal, police are militarized to handle growing civil unrest. During an anti-government protest in Belgrade, Serbia, reports from attendees started having symptoms of headaches, nausea, and even ear drums rupturing. It was later discovered that Serbian authorities used sonic cannons to disperse the crowd. In Nepal, authorities used live rounds of ammunition, at least 19 fatalities reported from the gun fire. Internationally, the use of fire arms is only allowed to be used if it is a last resort.
This sudden and seemingly disproportionate amount of civil unrest has led to unanswered questions for many. It is unclear when these protests will end- some may succeed whether the governments cave in or collapse. Others may fail due to governments suppressing them through forces. Either way, the world is seeing a massive change in international politics.
