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Memes, Reels, Costumes And Tear Gas: How Gen Z Is Redefining Street Protests

memes, reels, costumes and tear gas: how gen z is redefining street protests

New Delhi: The student protest, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), isn’t just taking over Delhi’s streets – it’s taking over social media too. As thousands of students marched from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament on July 20 (Monday), demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, Instagram, YouTube and X exploded with memes, GRWM reels (get ready with me), trending music and pop culture references that became just as powerful as slogans on the ground.

From GRWM videos and OOTD (Outfit of the Day) posts to Subway Surfers music, Batman costumes and satirical memes, Gen Z protesters blended political messaging with internet culture, turning social media into an extension of the demonstration.

The protests, which have now spread to cities including Mumbai, Indore, Udaipur and Hyderabad, have generated a wave of online content mixing humour, irony and commentary on unemployment, police action, environmental concerns and the demand for Pradhan’s resignation.

Memes, Music And Viral Trends Take Over

Many social media users poked fun at the delay in Pradhan’s resignation.

One Instagram user wrote, “Employment opportunities are low in our country; that’s why Pradhan is not resigning.”

Another compared the situation to corporate life, joking that the minister was likely waiting to receive his month’s salary before stepping down “to avoid the financial crunch during the full-and-final settlement.”

An X user added, “Ho sakta hai Dharmendra Pradhan ke paas dusra offer na ho, isliye resign nahi kar raha. (Possibly Dharmendra Pradhan doesn’t have another job offer that’s why he is not resigning).”

When protesters heading towards Parliament were stopped by Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel, with videos showing the use of lathis and tear gas, social media users responded with satire rather than silence.

Videos of protesters running through the streets were paired with songs such as “Chak De India”, “Bhag Milkha”, “Bhag DK Bose” and “Gangnam Style.”

The background music from the popular mobile game Subway Surfers, where players run from a policeman, featured in several viral videos.

One post read, “Thanks for the cardio, Delhi Police!”

Another reel, set to the tune of “Chak De India,” joked, “Parliament ki doorbell baja ke bhag gaya! (Rang Parliament’s doorbell and took off!).”

YouTuber and rapper Garam Kalakar also shared a video reflecting on the July 20 protest.

“Kal Jantar Mantar pe kya dekha? Chhatron me bhara tha junoon dekha, Delhi police pe sawar maine khoon dekha. Civil dress me gundo ki dhun dekha, aur vardi walon ki nameplate gum dekha. Chote baccho pe utha hua hath dekha, bade budhon ko mara tumne laat dekha.

(What did I witness at Jantar Mantar yesterday? I saw students filled with passion and resolve, I saw bloodlust riding the Delhi Police. I saw thugs in plain clothes at work, and uniformed officers with their nameplates missing. I saw hands raised against young children, and I saw elderly people being kicked).”

GRWM, Batman And Protest Selfies

Before joining the demonstrations, several protesters posted GRWM and OOTD reels documenting what they planned to wear and sharing updates from the protest site.

“Get ready with me to witness the downfall of the government. I am wearing a spine, some jhumkas and my constitutional right to oh… Never mind!” one creator wrote.

Another participant joked that her eyeliner had survived the day’s events because her “foundation is strong, unlike the government.”

Environmental concerns also found their way into the online humour.

Reacting to the use of tear gas, one X user posted: “Delhi Police, please don’t use tear gas. It pollutes the city. Then we’ll also have to ask for the environment minister’s resignation.”

Another wrote, “Unlike petrol blended with E20, the tear gas used during the protest was 100 per cent authentic and without adulteration.”

Amid allegations of police excesses, one protester posted ironically: “I am totally safe here. There are a lot of police around me. Nobody can hit me.”

In another viral clip, a YouTuber asked a protester why Pradhan had still not resigned. The protester replied that it was a “masterstroke” by the BJP-led Centre and that its benefits would become visible in “Dhurandhar 3.”

The recently released film also became the subject of memes.

“Fun fact: Protest site pe Rang De Basanti aur Swades ke gaane baj rahe hain; Dhurandhar ke nahi. (They are playing songs of Rang De Basanti and Swades at the protest site, not of Dhurandhar),” one X user wrote.

Beyond slogans and placards, videos from protest sites showed participants dressed as Batman, Spider-Man, Superman and Iron Man, while others portrayed Mahatma Gandhi and B R Ambedkar.

The protests also sparked relationship-themed memes.

One participant posted: “Aaj tear gas ke fog me unko yaad karke ro diya. (I cried remembering them in the fog of the tear gas).”

Another wrote: “Itna ignore to usne bhi nahi kiya tha (Even they didn’t ignore me so much!).”

In another light-hearted post, a protester suggested that the demonstrations had become “an ideal place to find a partner,” giving a playful twist to the phrase “aapda mein avsar.”

The Cockroach Janta Party, which emerged online after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant referred to unemployed youth as “cockroaches” during court proceedings, has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since June 20. The group is demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET question paper leak and other alleged examination irregularities, with the movement now spreading to several cities across the country.

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