In Madagascar, Morocco, Nepal, Peru and the Philippines, ‘Gen Z’ is taking to the streets. A striking flag flutters above these protests: that of the Straw Hat Pirates in the manga One Piece. The ensign, a Jolly Roger in which the skull wears a straw hat, is not merely decorative — it has become a political symbol. In Eichiro Oda’s manga, first published in 1997, a pirate crew challenges corrupt powers; for its readers, the flag has become the emblem of a generation that no longer expects anything from institutions and takes direct action.

In response to these protest movements, we have dived into our archive to highlight the crucial role of students and young people in political uprisings.

In Bangladesh, in the summer of 2024, students rose up against the reinstatement of quotas in the civil service. Public anger found new targets: unemployment, corruption, favouritism and state violence. Within a few weeks, fifteen years of authoritarianism were swept away, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee.

Young people precipitate upheavals because they are the first to suffer an authoritarian regime’s economic and political violence, because they often have nothing to lose, and because their mastery of social media enables them to amplify their anger and unite the ranks of protesters.

This is what happened in Tunisia in December 2010, when Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old street hawker, set himself on fire after his fruit and vegetable cart was seized by the police. Bouazizi’s desperate gesture, the consequence of years of frustration and anger, triggered the uprising that ultimately destroyed the power of President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali and paved the way for other uprisings across Egypt and the Arab world.

Decade after decade, in one country after another, young people have consistently demonstrated their ability to mobilise and bring about major political change.