Gen Z protests surge worldwide as Madagascar mutiny reshapes politics

A wave of youth-led demonstrations that activists and participants call Gen Z protests has erupted across multiple regions in recent weeks, culminating in a military mutiny in Madagascar that forced President Andry Rajoelina from office and prompted new confrontations in capitals from Kathmandu to Lima. The unrest, driven largely by people born after 1996 and organized in mostly leaderless networks, has centered on grievances including corruption, nepotism, economic hardship and failures in public services.

In Madagascar, demonstrators who began mobilizing over regular water and electricity cuts quickly broadened their demands to include the resignation of the president and cabinet ministers, protesters said. Those demonstrations were followed by a military mutiny on Monday that led to Rajoelina leaving the country and a senior officer announcing he would assume the presidency, according to statements by the mutiny leader. Protesters in Madagascar said they drew inspiration from recent movements elsewhere, including Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Nepal was among the earliest and most prominent examples of the phenomenon this year. Weeks of largely youth-driven protests that used social...