A generational struggle: the youth lead the way!

Credit: Guy Smallman

Kate Hudson writes: We’re at a moment of exceptional international protest, the like of which we haven’t seen for many years. Much of the European continent is aflame. But the protests are global in scope, from the Cockroach movement in India, to No Kings in the United States, and beyond. This is a generational struggle, largely led by young people, but with support and mobilisation from across communities and trade unions. The outcome of this struggle will shape our economies and societies for years to come, and it’s being fought on a number of fronts:

Firstly, against austerity, particularly against the underfunding of education as we see in France; and on affordable housing and the cost of living in Spain, Greece and Italy; in Albania, the struggle began in opposition to high student fees and poor accommodation, but it has become anti-corruption and pro-democracy, tens of thousands are mobilised. And it’s also happening in Belgium, Portugal and other countries too. A strong theme within all these protests is opposition to military spending – we’ve all seen how so many placards directly link military spending to the lack of funding for education and all the other public goods that we so desperately need.

Secondly, against war, and conscription – we see the massive protests in Germany, against the new military service law, demanding education not war in protest against the massive defence budget, and their total refusal to become cannon fodder in their politicians’ reckless drive to war. And it’s happening in other countries too. Here in Britain, the government’s pro-war propaganda has reached new and absurd levels: we’ve seen the new Be Ready campaign, telling households to stockpile three days of supplies for an ‘emergency’. It’s just a thinly veiled way of preparing us for war. And it will remind many of us of the 1980s, when the Thatcher government urged us to protect and survive, by whitewashing our windows to protect us from nuclear war. Thank God for CND and the millions across Europe who mobilised against cruise and pershing missiles – and got them removed.

The truth is, if there is a war today – and they mean a war against Russia – it will be a nuclear war, and no amount of bottled water will save us. So thank God for the young people, the movements, the trade unions that are mobilised against war.

Linking the struggles against austerity and against war has never been more important – or more popular. Wages not Weapons and Welfare not Warfare, are the slogans of the majority. That’s us – we are the majority. And last month we saw a significant victory at the TUC Conference. The Building Real Security motion from UCU was passed, it built on and increased the majority for the Wages not Weapons motion passed last year. I pay tribute to Jo Grady and her union for their leadership on this crucial issue.

And I would also draw your attention to the amazing new National Education Union report on military spending, calling on the government to increase investment in education and public services rather than raising defence spending. This is a model for the kind of initiatives we need to see across all sectors.

And thirdly, the struggle against the far right is intensifying and we see that coming from the youth on the streets too. Above all we must actively support the young people because if their movement is defeated it will open the door to a Le Pen presidency, and to others across Europe too.

I will conclude by making a fundamental point: by recognising the role that the Palestine movement has had in shaping these new youth movements and mobilisations – the three years of struggle by the Palestinians themselves, against genocide and war, and for their rights and sovereignty. And by the global solidarity movement that has stood with the Palestinians; the mobilisation of millions, the strikes, school strikes, blockades, direct action, arrests, imprisonments – and the elections where people went to the ballot box pledging ‘No Ceasefire, No Vote’.

It is this courageous, moral and principled outpouring that has shaped this new generation of protestors; everywhere on the protests now you see Palestinian flags and keffiyehs. Whether we are fighting against austerity, against war, against the far-right, fighting for an end to the genocide and for the sovereignty of the Palestinians, we must fight as one, in unity: tous ensemble!

This text is based on the speech that Kate Hudson gave to an International Anti-War meeting in London, on 23rd October 2026.