- Youth-led protests in Bangladesh resulted in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation
- Nigeria is also witnessing a series of protests after citizens felt they could no longer bear the economic hardship
- TheRadar compiled influential protests from around the globe that successfully prompted changes in government
There is an increasing acknowledgement of young people’s role in driving political change. This trend was illustrated by Kenya's political reforms, the recent youth-led protests in Bangladesh resulting in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation, and many other similar occurrences.
Here, we highlight five influential protests from around the globe that successfully prompted changes in the government.
Sheikh Hasina resigned, fled office - Bangladesh 2024
The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina resigned, ending 15 years of her leadership, following nationwide protests in the country.
The protests started in July in Dhaka, initially spearheaded by students who were angry at a court's decision to reinstate a job quota scheme that had been abolished in 2018.
The Supreme Court rescinded the job quota policy on July 21. However, the protests persisted as youths and other citizens demanded justice for the deceased and called for Hasina’s resignation.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled her office.
Election Rerun - Malawi 2020
Malawi made history in Africa in June 2020 by conducting a rerun of its general election due to irregularities in the previous year’s vote. The persistent protests from civil society played a key role in ensuring that democratic standards were enforced.
The rerun saw the ruling party removed from power, inciting strong democratic values and setting an example for the rest of Africa.
Alpha Condé was captured, forced to resign - Guinea 2021
The Guinean protests of 2019–2020 erupted into violent clashes and mass civil unrest starting October 14, 2019, driven by public discontent with Alpha Condé's proposed constitutional amendments.
After a series of gunfire incidents in Conakry on September 5, 2021, Guinea’s military took control and captured President Alpha Condé in a coup d'état.
Commander Mamady Doumbouya of the special forces made a televised announcement on state TV, revealing the dissolution of the constitution and government.
Colonel Mamady Doumbouya became president on October 1, and the military has vowed to return power to
elected civilians by the end of 2024.
Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta resigned - Mali 2020
Protests erupted in Mali on June 5, 2020, with tens of thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets of Bamako. They were driven by frustration over widespread corruption, alleged election irregularities, and increasing insecurity, demanding the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.
Following a coup d'état on August 18, 2020, the protests stopped as the military responded to the protesters' demands.
Both the president and prime minister of Mali were held in detention that afternoon, and by evening, they had officially resigned.
Chile replaced old constitution after massive protest in 2019
In a major vote, Chileans picked progressive, young, and feminist candidates to write the new constitution. This assembly was formed after a landslide number of votes following a massive protest in 2019, calling for a new constitution to replace the outdated one from the dictatorship.
The protest movement, led prominently by young people and female leaders, remained steadfast. They succeeded in ensuring that half of the new assembly's members would be women and Chile’s Indigenous groups would be represented.
Federal government issues travel alert to Nigerians over UK riots
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Federal government has issued a travel alert to Nigerians planning to travel to the United Kingdom following the protests and civil unrest in some parts of the country.
The ministry also warned Nigerians to avoid rallies, protests and crowded areas. This was contained in a press release posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handle on X and signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe.