@guardian: “It is the wind of youth that rises," says 17-year-old French student and reporter Hippolyte. Hippolyte is one of hundreds of thousands of gen-Z protesters around the world, from Argentina to France to India, who have taken to the streets in recent weeks to demonstrate their discontent. Although each country's protest movement stems from different causes, the sense of anger and frustration about a system that the demonstrators feel desperately needs to be changed runs through them all. Young people told the Guardian about their fatigue and frustration with the cost of living, such as in Spain, where backlash to the death of the 87-year-old evicted pensioner Maricarmen sparked mass protests over housing costs. They expressed concern about governments that do not represent their interests, including in Albania where a summer of peaceful protests against the proposed development of a luxury resort along the southern coast has turned into civil disorder over rising education costs and ⁠corruption under the 13-year premiership of Edi Rama. And while many of the protests have been peaceful, some countries have seen tensions between demonstrators and police turn violent – drawing concerns about heavy-handed police responses and potential government crackdowns. France will deploy about 70,000 police around the country on Saturday in response to civil unrest, while Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has toughened penalties for protest-related violence. Watch to hear more from young protesters and follow more coverage via the link in bio.

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Saturday 24 October 2026 09:12:12 GMT