10/10/2025
From Discord to the Streets: Gen Z?s Moment in the Middle East
Facing an uncertain economic future and fed up with corruption and mismanagement, young people in countries from Morocco to Iran have begun voicing demands for more responsive leadership and a more open society. The skull-and-crossbones Jolly Roger flag with a straw hat?popularized by the Japanese anime series One Piece?is waving in the wind at protests across Morocco. The image has become a rallying symbol for Gen Z Moroccans, who have led protests in cities and suburbs across the country since September 27. The choice of a story about a pirate fighting elites and oppression reflects the global connectivity of Gen Z, but it also points to the systemic grievances driving youth into the...
