Setra Ariliva Andrianarivelonarivo had never gone to a protest before.

Instead of taking to the streets, the 25-year-old would vent his frustrations about constant power and water outages in Madagascar online.

But that all changed when the United Nations Human Rights Office reported at least 22 people had been killed in protests on the island off Africa's south-east coast.

"The victims include protesters and bystanders killed by members of the security forces, but also others killed in subsequent widespread violence and looting by individuals and gangs not associated with the protesters," it said.

Mr Andrianarivelonarivo told the ABC it was then he realised "it wouldn't change my country if I just typed some words online".

"If you wanted change, you had to act on it and not just spect

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