World
Germany’s Youth Protest Over Cost of Living, Education Cuts, and Military Expansion, Some Cities See Violence
On Saturday, thousands of young people marched in 34 German cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne and Hamburg, to protest rising living costs, cuts in education funding and plans to strengthen the military. The demonstrations, organised by the youth campaign group "GenZ regelt!", were largely peaceful during the day, but in the evening violence erupted in several major cities. In Frankfurt, masked rioters looted shops, smashed windows, and threw Molotov cocktails at emergency personnel. Police used water cannons and pepper spray against demonstrators who hurled stones, fireworks and petrol bombs. A gun store, a trainer shop and a perfume store were among the businesses targeted, and a police officer was injured. Similar clashes occurred in Hamburg and Cologne, where police also deployed water cannons after demonstrators allegedly attacked emergency workers with fireworks, stones and bottles. In Berlin, a separate evening protest saw demonstrators throw eggs and bottles at police, and a police officer in Bonn was lightly injured. German authorities said the protests were infiltrated by extremist groups; Hesse’s interior minister Roman Poseck identified about 100 left‑wing extremists who had joined the Frankfurt protest. The GenZ regelt! movement distanced itself from the violence, stating that extremist groups, anti‑constitutional symbols, racism and hate speech had no place in its demonstrations. The protesters demanded greater investment in education and public services, opposed compulsory military service, and called for a halt to increased military spending. They also criticised the government’s plans to expand troop numbers through a new voluntary military service model, fearing a return to conscription. The movement’s organisers had expected around 180,000 participants nationwide, but official counts were lower: roughly 120,000 people took part, with about 6,000 in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin. The protests coincided with Halloween celebrations, and many participants wore costumes ranging from dinosaurs to Batman. Protesters carried placards with slogans such as "Time for resistance" and "Merz must go", targeting Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s policies. The demonstrations were part of a broader wave of Gen Z‑led protests across Europe this year, prompting German authorities to remain cautious about the potential spread of similar violence.