Generation Z is mobilizing in Peru on September 20 and 21, demanding changes to the Dina Boluarte regime and denouncing the pension reform. Starting at 5 p.m., youth groups, unions, and social organizations rallied in San Martín Square, La República reported this Saturday.

Police repression was swift on the first day of protests against the Peruvian government. A group of protesters was heading toward Avenida Nicolás de Piérola and Carabaya when they were surprised by tear gas bombs.

The protest responds to discontent over the reform of the AFP (Association of Pension Funds), the rise of crime, and the overcrowding of justice institutions, and seeks to channel this outrage into a massive and peaceful day.

So far, excessive police presence has been observed, sparking comments on social media. Police officers were reported to have fired tear gas canisters on Jirón de la Unión in an attempt to disperse the protesters.

Hours before the march against Dina Boluarte and Congress began, representatives of civil society organizations denounced the blocking of their phone lines on social media.

“I can’t answer calls because my phone was blocked yesterday. The government may be trying to instill fear in people due to today’s march,” said Coraly Escobar, a leader of the PUCP Student Federation (FePuc).

Wildalr Lozano, spokesperson for the youth group “Generación Z,” spoke out against the labels attributed to the protesters, stating that they are not “a group of vandals” and emphasizing that the march’s sole objective is to make the government listen to the population’s demands.