Video: Tens of thousands of young people took to the streets in Germany to protest against military conscription
On October 31, large-scale youth protests against the policies of Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his government took place in several major German cities. The demonstrations were organized by the movement Gen Z hat genug! (“Generation Z Has Had Enough!”).
According to preliminary estimates, the largest number of participants gathered in Berlin—about 5,000. In Stuttgart, about 3,000 people protested, and in Hamburg, more than 2,000. The organizers reported demonstrations in 12 cities with over 68,000 participants. At the same time, official police estimates in some cities were lower.
Among the young people’s main demands are lowering the cost of living, increasing funding for education, climate protection, and preserving social guarantees. The demonstrators are also opposing increased military spending and the possible introduction of mandatory military service. Slogans on the posters included “Education Instead of Shooting” and “No to Conscription.”
In some cities, peaceful protests escalated into clashes with the police. In Hamburg, for example, protesters set trash cans on fire, set off firecrackers, and threw various objects at law enforcement officers. The police used water cannons and pushed the crowd back from several streets.
Calls for Friedrich Merz to resign were also heard during the protests. Young people are voicing concerns about a decline in their quality of life and dissatisfaction with the decisions made by German authorities.
Source: DIE ZEIT
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