A World-Wide Resistance Is an Answer to Oppression
Protests in recent months have been rampant across the entire globe— the No Kings Protest 2.0 on October 18, and South Africa’s G20 Women’s shutdown on November 21. In the last twelve months alone, more than 68 countries have experienced significant instances of protesting. The ongoing rage is persistent worldwide. One thing is for certain, people feel that their governments, politicians have failed to serve their duty to the people, and instead have served for their own self profit.
The No Kings event might not be as impactful as the media perceives it to be.
Kamala Harris, and the Democratic Party as a whole, is not the only solution to end the authoritarian regime. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party often seem more focused on opposing one another than on addressing the deeper systemic issues facing the nation. Their rivalry fuels division and turns politics into a perpetual contest of winning and losing, rather than a collaborative effort to serve the people. As a result, meaningful progress is frequently stalled, and public trust in government continues to erode while the same cycles of blame and partisanship repeat throughout elections.
No Kings was held on a Saturday, where public services were not disturbed, nor the workforce interrupted. These kinds of protests do not pose a general threat to the status quo, but are solely oppositional to the Trump Administration. It was more a Democratic Party pep rally, designed to get American liberals ready for the prospect of other Democratic candidates.
The people are hungry for reform– solutions that actively address wealth inequality, the increasing political opposition and human rights violations. We are tired of hollow promises and performative politics that leave working families behind. Across the nation, there is a growing demand for transparency, accountability, and policies that reflect the real struggles of ordinary citizens — from affordable healthcare and housing to equal justice under the law.
This hunger for change is not rooted in blind anger but in a demand for dignity, fairness, and hope. People want a government that listens intently ; one that unites us rather than divides us into hierarchies. Reform should result in breaking the cycle of polarization and systems that value human life over profit. It means reimagining democracy as a living, breathing promise — one that evolves with its people and ensures that every voice is valued and rightfully brought to justice.
Protesting Matters
Capitalism, and its counterpart– neoliberalism - is a system that survives off of obedience over the public to keep its shackles intact and its deviant members shamed by the rest. But in the cases of mass civil disobedience across communities and cities, the only minority that suffers amongst this united fury for justice, is the elites. The very tiny percentage which controls the major transnational corporations. They have the privilege of avoiding taxes and are impacted by mass boycotting and civil disobedience towards the hierarchical system that survives solely on our blind compliance.
When we unify to march the streets and abandon our labor, we join to become solidarity against a cause far too important to be ignored. It unwillingly demonstrates how the aforementioned oligarchs rely on our labor. There is a power we hold — the immediate instability of institutions after the shockwaves of our voices are heard across the world.
Across Italy, and Spain thousands took to the streets in solidarity with the Gaza aid flotilla and activists detained by Israel. From Rome’s Colosseum to Milan’s Duomo, protesters demanded justice, condemned government support for Israel, and disrupted train lines in Florence and Bologna. Even dock workers from Italy vowed to carry out blockades, to prevent vessels being shipped to Israel.
They have their own authoritarian president, and yet their class solidarity has forced their country to a standstill. The only way out of fascism is through it— banding together the working class despite our differences. Fascism relies on civil obedience and utter compliance. It is our duty to object, speak out, and point out how fragile the rich are compared to us. The only thing we risk to lose is the shackles that divide us— when our voices are scattered and disunited.
International resistance and mass public disobedience against corruption across all forms are erupting worldwide. Gen Z is rising up across continents— like the Gen Z led revolution in Nepal, where they burned down government buildings while taking selfies. They appointed the first female prime minister, and then cleaned up their streets.
Young people are spearheading protests in the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal; Jakarta, Indonesia; Morocco; and Antananarivo, Madagascar. Young people are acknowledging the influence of Asian protesters thousands of miles away, and how they collectively fight against inequality and corruption. In Morocco, protesters loosely organised by Discord, are focusing on the huge sums spent on renovating several football stadiums for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, funds that could have gone to public services such as education and healthcare.
What Can You Do?
Preserving divisions is what disrupts the possibility of resisting oppression. Wherever you are in the world— no matter how insignificant your voice seems, never undermine our capability to unify against authoritarian regimes. The aforementioned examples of Gen Z led resistance is the true answer to oppression.
And as a fellow member of Gen Z, your voice is instrumental in shaping the political climate and shaping more resistance across the globe.
If you can’t raise your voice, wear your cause. Distribute awareness onto those who avoid harsh, but true realities in an attempt to ‘protect’ their peace. Remember ignorance is complicity.
Whether passively or actively conscious of an ongoing genocide, or political corruption that play on social media, our humanity should debts us into participation. Whether it be volunteering for nonprofit organizations, or organizing a protest for a collective effort to disrupt the status quo.
So yes, tiny acts of rebellion add up to unforgettable acts of defiance, of refusing to comply. Your voice matters but our collective voices are even more impactful.