German Gen Z protests target budget cuts and military service
Youth groups plan nationwide demonstrations in dozens of German cities demanding education funding and an end to compulsory military proposals.
KEY POINTS
- Youth movements GenZ regelt and GenZ steht auf are calling nationwide protests in Germany
- Organizers demand investment in education, health care, and social protection instead of budget cuts
- Protests also oppose proposed compulsory military service and military recruitment of young people
- More than 140,000 online expressions of interest were reported for actions in 23 cities
- A separate report expects more than 160,000 participants across 34 cities
German youth movements are calling for nationwide protests against budget cuts and proposed military service requirements. Organizers say they want greater investment in education, health care, and social protection instead of measures that burden younger generations.
More than 140,000 people had expressed online interest in attending, according to organizers, with actions planned in 23 German cities. The largest gatherings are expected in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, and Cologne, though the actual turnout remains uncertain.
“The government has offered no response to our concerns beyond continuing to make cuts and imposing even more burdens on us.”
A second report puts expected participation at more than 160,000 people across 34 cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich. The demonstrations are framed as part of a broader wave of Gen Z activism across Europe.
The protests are coordinated by the movement Gen Z regelt, which accuses Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government of ignoring the difficulties faced by German youth. Organizers demand changes to federal budget priorities and increased public investment in youth policies.
An 18-year-old speaker scheduled for a Munich rally directly criticized Merz, saying the government has offered no response to student and young worker concerns beyond continued cuts and added burdens. Protesters say they will continue exercising their right to assembly until they are no longer ignored.
Authorities are monitoring the calls and preparing police operations, with heightened vigilance due to the protests coinciding with Halloween celebrations. Officials expect mostly peaceful demonstrations but worry about possible extremist participation and clashes. German organizers have distanced themselves from violence and pledged peaceful action.
The Federal Student Conference supports several demands, especially education investment, but warned that the mobilization could be exploited by other groups or overshadowed by confrontations and political instrumentalization.
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