Tens of thousands of people across Germany participated in demonstrations on Saturday (the 31st), when a youth-led movement, inspired by protests in other parts of Europe, took to the streets to demand better education and a reduction in the cost of living.
The protests follow a wave of youth-led demonstrations in various European countries this year. In Serbia, student-led activism helped oust the country’s longtime leader at the ballot box, while the protests in France degenerated into rioting and looting.
Protests are planned in 34 cities
The German protests, organized by the group “Gen Z regelt,” which means “Generation Z takes command” in German, are scheduled to take place in 34 cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich.
The group says it opposes mandatory military service and wants greater investment in education, as many young Germans face difficulties with the rising cost of living.
Official numbers released on Saturday afternoon indicated that the number of participants fell short of the 182,000 initially expected by the organizers. Police in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin reported up to 18,000 demonstrators, about half of the roughly 36,000 indicated on the organizers’ website.
The protests are largely peaceful, but Hamburg reports fires
German authorities said Saturday’s demonstrations, which coincided with Halloween celebrations, had been largely peaceful up to that point, but warned of attempts by extremist groups to exploit the movement.
In Hamburg, several barricades were set on fire.
“We are here today to fight for peace and freedom, and not for war and coercion,” said Lina Friedrich, a spokesperson for Gen Z regelt, in Berlin on Saturday.
“What matters most to us is better support for health and education systems. We are against mandatory military service and we are in favor of a fairer distribution of the burdens.”
Parts of Germany’s far-left extremist scene and some groups linked to foreign extremist movements joined forces to mobilize support, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
“We all have those images of France in our minds, looting, houses in flames, police vehicles set on fire and attacks on police officers,” said Roman Poseck, Interior Minister of the state of Hesse, whose capital is Frankfurt, the financial center of Germany.
“France should not be presented as a model in that sense.”
Some companies in several German cities boarded up windows and planned to close early ahead of the demonstrations due to concerns about possible disturbances, including along the upscale Kurfürstendamm shopping avenue in Berlin.
“Generation Z Takes Command” Demands Government Response
For the organizers, the focus is on what they see as increasing pressure on younger generations in the largest economy in Europe.
“The government has offered no response to our concerns, other than continuing to make cuts and imposing more burdens on us,” said Steve, an 18-year-old who would speak at a rally in Munich, addressing Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“We will continue to exercise our fundamental right to assembly until you stop ignoring us.”
The protests come at a time when Germany is struggling to rekindle economic growth and faces mounting pressure on pensions and public services as the baby-boom generation retires and the working-age population declines.
The largest economy in Europe is trying to regain momentum after years of weak performance. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has already promised reforms to boost the German economy.
Student Organization Distances Itself from the Initiative
However, questions have arisen about who is behind the campaign and whether it is truly led by young people, given the wide diversity of political groups and civil society involved.
The national German organization that brings together high school students, the BSK, distanced itself from the initiative and plans to hold a separate day of protest on November 20.
“We are distancing ourselves from ‘Gen Z regelt,’ but not from the students themselves, who have legitimate concerns,” said Amy Kirchhoff, the BSK’s secretary-general, on Thursday.
Sean Baker, a student at the Technical University of Berlin, said he would participate in the protests on Saturday to draw attention to the poor state of the campus buildings.
“When you walk in and go to the classrooms, it looks like an abandoned building,” he told Reuters. “Yet this is where we are supposed to study regularly.”
