21 shì jì21世纪shǔ yú属于shuí谁？xué shēng学生fǎn duì反对zhàn zhēng战争，yāo qiú要求cān yù参与jué dìng决定wèi lái未来
In countries such as Germany, France, the United States, and Australia, some secondary school and university students have taken to the streets to oppose war or to protest against their governments spending more money on the military and weapons.
These activities are not part of one unified global movement, and the students do not all share exactly the same views.
In August 2025, university students in cities such as Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, left their classrooms to demand that the government take action over the war in Gaza.
In October 2026, people in cities such as Rome, Italy, also took to the streets to support Palestinians living in Gaza.
In the United States, some university students oppose Israel’s military operations in Gaza, as well as U.S. support for them.
Why do students want to take part in these discussions?
A young person who is 20 today will be 60 in 2066.
They rarely have a direct say in whether a war begins, but they will have to face the deaths, destruction, and debt—that is, money owed by the country—caused by war for decades to come.
Students taking to the streets may not necessarily stop a war, and governments also have a responsibility to protect people’s safety.
But these activities remind governments that when deciding about war and the future, they also need to listen to young people’s voices.