From September to October, uprising spreads, change is a necessity

Özge Güneş

Since the 1980s, neoliberalism has been imposed on the world as a prescription. It was promised that the free market, privatization, and global integration would bring democracy, prosperity, and development. However, nearly forty years later, it is clear that none of these promises have been fulfilled; on the contrary, neoliberalism has become the main source of decay. The dismantling of the welfare state, the disorganization of labor, the abandonment of agriculture and public services to the mercy of the market, deepening debt dependency, and networks of corruption have lowered living standards everywhere today. The neoliberal era is marked by the rise of authoritarian, repressive, and corrupt regimes at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century. These regimes try to stay afloat by increasing repression rather than managing the crisis.

Precisely for this reason, the mass movements we see today are not just temporary reactions, but signals indicating where things are headed in the coming decades. The emergence of healthcare workers, farmers, students, women, and the broader impoverished segments of society onto the streets signals the rise of a new generation that will not tolerate the decay of neoliberalism. Youth are combining the defense of public rights with the pursuit of freedom, democracy, and justice.

Protests taking place in different corners of the world in September also demonstrate the scale of this reality. Youth movements led the protests. However, it was not only young people who took to the streets, but also broad sections of society. Demands for affordable prices in transportation, food, health, and education, a public budget for agriculture, democratic oversight, and people's sovereignty in response to policies such as austerity packages, subsidy cuts, and external debt restraints continue to bring people out onto the streets everywhere.

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GEN Z'S BANNER OF FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY, AND JUSTICE

One way to understand the objection repertoire of youth movements is to look at the language of their actions. The “Straw Hat” flag from One Piece, which is passed from hand to hand during protests, is the most striking expression of this language. One Piece tells the story of free spirits resisting a corrupt authority that places itself above God; its characters choose to smile, show solidarity, and resist under any circumstances. Therefore, the flag is not just a reference to a comic book, but also a symbol of the shared struggle of generations against the rotten powers of the neoliberal order.

First symbolized worldwide in 2021 during the civil resistance against the junta regime in Myanmar, the flag entered a new circulation in 2025. It spread to movements led by Gen Z in Indonesia against the regime of privilege and widespread corruption, in the Philippines against mass protests rising again on the anniversary of the Marcos dictatorship, and in Nepal against instability and the rejection of the old order of politics. Attempts by states to ban and censor the symbol backfired, sharpening the flag's meaning. Most recently, the flag's appearance in Madagascar last week demonstrated that youth will not relinquish their banners of freedom, democracy, and justice in the face of crises caused by neoliberal decay.

• MADAGASCAR: CHANGE IN THE FACE OF FAILURE

Protests in Madagascar erupted over the public service crisis, one of the most visible faces of neoliberal decay. Weeks of electricity and water cuts across the country became a symbol of a regime attempting to cover up the government's corruption and failure, beyond mere technical glitches. The people interpreted the failure to guarantee even the most basic needs as a sign of the political regime's collapse.

Despite curfews declared in some cities, days of protests forced President Andry Rajoelina to dissolve his government. The youth at the forefront of the protests demanded improved public services, transparent governance, and an end to corruption. The uprising in Madagascar became a concrete expression of the desire for change, demonstrating that the weakest link in today's authoritarian and corrupt regimes is precisely the lack of public safety.

• MOROCCO: RAGE GROWS WITH DEMANDS FOR RIGHTS

The youth uprising that erupted in Morocco is a direct result of insecurity combined with the collapse of public services and corruption. The initial spark was a reaction to poor conditions in hospitals in Agadir. However, it quickly grew into a mass movement across the country against deep inequalities in health and education. Organizing under the name “GenZ 212,” young people used social media tools to build a network that grew from thousands to hundreds of thousands in just days. The Discord group’s membership jumped from 3,000 to 130,000 in a week.

As the protests grew, the response turned directly against the government. Young people want not only improved services but also the resignation of Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch. The wave in Morocco showed that when the rage of the new generation against neoliberal privilege regimes combines with demands for public rights, it can quickly turn into an uprising.

• ARGENTINA: NO TO AUSTERITY

At the end of September, the streets of Argentina became a meeting point for multiple protests against the damage caused by neoliberal austerity policies in various areas. The third mass university protest coincided with a teachers' strike in higher education, highlighting the widespread discontent in the education sector. Students and academics took to the streets demanding that salaries be adjusted for inflation, that resources be provided for scholarships, and that the budget be increased to 1% of GDP starting in 2026.

Healthcare workers also joined this wave. Hospital workers raised their demand for a budget for the Pediatric Health and Healthcare Assistant Emergency Law, which Milei recently vetoed.

Another protest came from the women's movement. Women took to the streets against increasing femicides and violence. The Milei government's neoliberal policies, which have led to the state withdrawing from poor areas and gender policies, have created a vacuum that has increased violence and drug trafficking, making it the target of protests.

The simultaneous gathering of different social groups on the streets in Argentina revealed that neoliberal attacks have turned into a crisis not only of economic security but also of social security and the right to life.

• PARAGUAY: UPRISING AGAINST CORRUPTION

Paraguay is witnessing massive protests centered on one of the most severe consequences of neoliberalism: corruption completely determining the political regime. Thousands took to the streets against the Santiago Peña government. Meanwhile, the protests merged with reactions against the erosion of social rights and the deepening of austerity policies, transforming into a broad social alliance. Pensioners, students, unions, rural and indigenous communities, and human rights organizations have come together. Demands voiced in the streets range from ending mafia-style control in the judiciary and state institutions to rolling back austerity policies, land reform, and lifting restrictions on civil society.

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FARMERS TAKE TO THE STREETS

Simultaneously with the youth-led protests, rural areas are also on their feet. In India, the withdrawal of cotton import tariffs, a move that would eliminate the income security of millions of producers, drove farmers' organizations into the streets. At the beginning of September, protests were organized across the country to raise their voices against agricultural production being left dependent on external factors and at the mercy of the market. In Ecuador, the government's decision to withdraw diesel subsidies triggered a major uprising as one of the most concrete steps of neoliberal austerity. Led by CONAIE (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador), the protests expanded daily with new communities joining; a social alliance formed, ranging from workers to environmental movements, feminists to education and health workers.

CONAIE views the removal of subsidies as a direct result of policies imposed by the IMF and Latin America's subjugation to the US agenda. Therefore, the demands are not limited to the withdrawal of price hikes; the establishment of price stability/subsidy mechanisms to balance food and transportation costs and an end to repression are also on the agenda. This process in Ecuador shows that neoliberalism has been rejected across a broad social front stretching from the countryside to the city.

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CONDEMNATION FROM LA VIA CAMPESINA

The peasant actions in Ecuador received strong support from La Via Campesina (LVC), the world's largest network of peasant movements. LVC drew attention to the devastating effects of neoliberal policies and IMF impositions on people's lives, demanding “an end to repression, criminalization, and extraction projects that threaten the lives of people and nature.”

The organization emphasized that the current mobilizations were triggered by the removal of diesel subsidies, but that this measure has deepened poverty and inequality by increasing transportation, peasant productivity, and food costs. According to LVC, this process fuels hunger in both rural and urban areas; the government, however, is pursuing policies that increase the cost of living for the poor instead of producing real solutions to insecurity and unemployment. LVC also condemned the media and internet restrictions imposed during the National Strike, stating, “We reject all narratives that criminalize social struggle and organization.” This statement framed the actions in Ecuador not merely as a local protest, but as a common struggle against the global domination of neoliberalism.

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HOPE IS HERE

The wave that spread from September to October shows that the seemingly disconnected outbursts of rage in different corners of the world actually converge on a common axis: a desire for radical change against the rottenness of the neoliberal order. The movements are both demanding back what has been taken from them and simultaneously raising the call to build something new.

We can say that these aspirations converge under three themes: 1. No to austerity: Affordable prices for transportation, food, healthcare, and education; strengthening the public budget and price stability/subsidy mechanisms. 2. An end to corruption and degradation: The dismantling of the privilege regime, transparency, and genuine accountability. 3. Democratic oversight and people's sovereignty: Social oversight of the budget and institutions, direct participation in decision-making processes, and the reestablishment of sovereignty in favor of the people.

We will soon see whether those in power will take a step back and provide transparency, accountability, and basic service guarantees, or whether they will try to manage the crisis by intensifying the pressure. However, the program written by millions in the streets today points to the founding line of the near future: a public budget and independent oversight; basic service guarantees and price stability; public protection for producers and agriculture. Millions around the world are rising up for “another life.” The founding power of this life lies in the unity of struggles that come together.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Eylül’den Ekim’e isyan yayılıyor, değişim şart, published in BirGün newspaper on October 7, 2025.