Italian Youth Protest Movement Says It Studied Morocco’s Gen Z Mobilization
A new protest movement that has emerged in Italy says it studied mobilizations by Moroccan youth. In its first manifesto, published this Tuesday, October 20, the collective names Morocco’s Gen Z among the foreign movements that informed its thinking.
“Gen Z in Morocco.” The reference appears in the first manifesto of the October 17 Movement (M1710), which emerged in Italy after several days of youth protests against the high cost of living and the government. The collective advocates an organization without leaders and says it studied various mobilizations around the world to shape how it operates.
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According to Italian public broadcaster Rai News, which details the manifesto published on social media, the young Italian protesters examined, among other things, movements that succeeded in mobilizing without centralized leadership.
The list includes uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, the 2019 Hong Kong protests, as well as Sudan, Algeria, Lebanon, Chile, Spain’s Indignados and Serbian students. The mobilization of Moroccan youth features alongside these international experiences.
The collective says it analyzed their methods, successes and failures, particularly in the face of repression. Its stated aim is to develop a mobilization capable of operating without an identifiable leader, with a flexible structure and collective participation.
An Italian movement with no leader or spokesperson
The October 17 Movement emerged in the wake of protests held on Saturday in several Italian cities, including Milan, Turin and Bologna. Participants denounced the rising cost of living, low wages and difficulties in public services, particularly education and health care. Several rallies were marked by clashes with law enforcement.
In its manifesto, the new collective says it intends to operate without a president, secretary, spokesperson, headquarters or membership card. Social media, particularly Telegram, TikTok and Instagram, play a central role in its organization. Its motto: “We represent ourselves.”
This approach recalls certain aspects of the GenZ 212 movement in Morocco, which held its first protests on September 27, 2025, following calls circulated notably on Discord and social media. Young Moroccans called for reforms in health care, education, employment and the fight against corruption.
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In Italy, the October 17 Movement is now calling for new rallies every Saturday at 3 p.m., with the stated ambition of keeping the protest movement going. Its manifesto presents demonstrations as spaces for discussion and political organization, beyond the days of protest themselves.
