The 2010s: A Decade Of Protests Around The World

Enlarge this image toggle caption Cristian Hernandez/AFP via Getty Images; Sakis Mitrolidis/AFP via Getty Images; Suhaib Salem/Reuters; Patrick Baz/AFP via Getty Images; Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images; A Majeed/AFP via Getty Images Cristian Hernandez/AFP via Getty Images; Sakis Mitrolidis/AFP via Getty Images; Suhaib Salem/Reuters; Patrick Baz/AFP via Getty Images; Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images; A Majeed/AFP via Getty Images

2019 has become known as a year of protest. But this year does not exist in isolation: Protests have been emblematic of the entire past decade.

The 2010s began with the Arab Spring and Occupy protests, and are ending with a swell of anti-government demonstrations in India, Iraq, Lebanon, Hong Kong, Latin America, parts of Europe and beyond. The middle years likewise were marked by major protests on multiple continents, from Iran to Ukraine, South Korea, Zimbabwe and Greece.

All decade long, people around the world — young, middle-aged and old, in places wealthy and not — poured into the streets, over and over again, insisting on economic and social equality, demanding better governance and action on a range of ills including corruption, racism, sexual abuse and climate change.

The impact and legacy of these protests will become clear in the years to come. But all made their mark on a turbulent decade, throwing into relief the issues people cared about most. Starting in 2019 and moving back, here are some glimpses from around the world, outside the United States.

Venezuela

Enlarge this image toggle caption Cristian Hernandez/AFP via Getty Images Cristian Hernandez/AFP via Getty Images

Colombia, Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador

Enlarge this image toggle caption Raul Arboleda/AFP via Getty Images; Martin Mejia/AP; Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images; Spencer Platt/Getty Images Raul Arboleda/AFP via Getty Images; Martin Mejia/AP; Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images; Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Nicaragua

Enlarge this image toggle caption Inti Ocon/AFP via Getty Images Inti Ocon/AFP via Getty Images

India

Enlarge this image toggle caption Amal KS/Hindustan Times via Getty Images Amal KS/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Lebanon

Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Baz/AFP via Getty Images Patrick Baz/AFP via Getty Images

The United Kingdom

Enlarge this image toggle caption Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images; Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images; Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Iraq

Enlarge this image toggle caption Haidar Hamdani/AFP via Getty Images Haidar Hamdani/AFP via Getty Images

Italy

Enlarge this image toggle caption Luca Bruno/AP Luca Bruno/AP

Hong Kong

Enlarge this image toggle caption Danish Siddiqui/Reuters; Xaume Olleros/AFP via Getty Images; Dale de la Rey/AFP via Getty Images Danish Siddiqui/Reuters; Xaume Olleros/AFP via Getty Images; Dale de la Rey/AFP via Getty Images

Indian-administered Kashmir

Enlarge this image toggle caption Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters; Tauseef Mustafa/AFP via Getty Images Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters; Tauseef Mustafa/AFP via Getty Images

Sudan

Enlarge this image toggle caption AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images

Zimbabwe

Enlarge this image toggle caption Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters

Afghanistan

Enlarge this image toggle caption Mohammad Ismail/Reuters Mohammad Ismail/Reuters

South Korea

Enlarge this image toggle caption Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images; Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images; Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

Argentina

Enlarge this image toggle caption Eitan Abramovich/AFP via Getty Images Eitan Abramovich/AFP via Getty Images

Greece

Enlarge this image toggle caption Sakis Mitrolidis/AFP via Getty Images Sakis Mitrolidis/AFP via Getty Images

Enlarge this image toggle caption Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP via Getty Images Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP via Getty Images

Australia, Sweden, France

Enlarge this image toggle caption Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images; Michael Campanella/Getty Images; Laurent Cipriani/AP Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images; Michael Campanella/Getty Images; Laurent Cipriani/AP

Pakistan

Enlarge this image toggle caption A Majeed/AFP via Getty Images A Majeed/AFP via Getty Images

Russia

Enlarge this image toggle caption Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine

Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images

Iran

Enlarge this image toggle caption Chavosh Homavandi/AFP via Getty Images; AFP via Getty Images Chavosh Homavandi/AFP via Getty Images; AFP via Getty Images

Egypt, Bahrain, Libya

Enlarge this image toggle caption Tara Todras-Whitehill/AP; Hasan Jamali/AP; Suhaib Salem/Reuters Tara Todras-Whitehill/AP; Hasan Jamali/AP; Suhaib Salem/Reuters

Italy