In Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne and dozens of other German cities, demonstrators took to the streets in protests organized by the group “GenZ regelt!” (Gen Z is taking care of it!). These movements have been inspired by similar protests across Europe, including France and Italy. Thousands of police were deployed nationwide, and some shops boarded up their windows, as authorities feared violence could break out. Fireworks and several arrests were reported at some protests, although the demonstrations were mostly peaceful until the early evening hours. Demonstrators waved placards reading: “Time for resistance” and “Merz must go”, referring to conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Veronika Dinter, spokeswoman for the “GenZ regelt!” movement, stressed that they are taking to the streets “for a life that everyone can afford”, since “hardly anyone still believes in a better future if everything continues as it is”. The movement’s grievances range from the high cost of living, poorly maintained schools, government spending cuts and, more broadly, the perception that politicians make decisions with little regard for the young generation. They are also dissatisfied with the sharp increase in military spending and a new voluntary service model that aims to increase the number of personnel, fearing it is a step toward the return of compulsory conscription.
However, the number of protesters turned out to be lower than the organizers had hoped. In Cologne, police said participation was well below the 15,000 registered participants, without giving an exact figure. In Berlin there were around 2,700, in Munich around 1,800 and in Frankfurt around 1,000. Before the demonstrations, organizers had said more than 170,000 people had registered to take part nationwide. Authorities were concerned that the protests, which coincided with Halloween, could be marred by the same kind of violence seen elsewhere in Europe, such as the riots of October 17 in France.
Berlin is in contact with officials in France and Italy, amid fears that radicals from abroad may seek to join the German protests. However, before the demonstrations, authorities said they had seen no evidence of concrete plans for violence. The “GenZ regelt!” movement explicitly rejects violence, stressing that “extremist groups, anti-constitutional symbols, racism and hate speech have no place with us – regardless of which side they come from”. Christian Volk, an expert on protest movements at Humboldt University of Berlin, said there was potential for a large movement in Germany, but pointed to key differences from France, which has a “completely different tradition when it comes to confrontational forms of protest”.
Taken from France 24 Live News