Over 100,000 people took to the streets of Germany on Saturday in protest against conscription, as the threat of Europe being dragged into a conflict looms. A youth initiative called “Gen Z regelt” – roughly meaning “Gen Z’s got this” – rallied in more than 30 cities “for education, health, climate protection and an affordable life”, and against any return of military conscription. Over 100,000 people were believed to have participated in the protests across the country.
In Berlin, young protesters gathered at Brandenburg Gate on Saturday afternoon, demanding more investments in education and housing. Secondary school student Lara Breitenbach told the Associated Press: “We call for more money to be invested in social services and education, as well as in climate protection – in short, in our future – because we are the ones who will be affected by this the longest and who will have to live with it.”
Janelle Schulz, another high school student from Berlin, also said that the authorities had to invest more money in education. She said: “At my school, the ceiling is collapsing because of water damage, nothing is being done about it, we have a shortage of teachers, the toilets are broken.” Concerns over the return of conscription were prompted by a new military service law that requires compulsory medical examinations, with critics saying the measure is intended to pave the way for mandatory conscription in the near future.
While most people rallied peacefully, some protests turned violent on Saturday night. In Frankfurt, some rioters smashed several storefronts and stole goods from inside.
Rioters also stole weapons from a gun store, which police were able to retrieve later. Some rioters also threw Molotov cocktails at police after pummeling them with stones and bottles earlier in the day, Frankfurt police said on X.
More than 100 officers were injured, and 54 people aged 13 to 29 were detained. It wasn’t clear how many of the protesters were injured. Police said 17 stores were damaged and five of those were looted. After police cordoned off an area in the city centre, the situation calmed down by early Sunday morning.
Boris Rhein, the governor of Hesse, where Frankfurt is located, said: “I am shocked by the violent excesses in Frankfurt, which will not go unpunished. Anyone who behaves like the attackers in downtown Frankfurt places themselves outside our society.”
In Cologne, police ended a protest march early after protesters used pyrotechnics, threw stones at them and covered their faces despite a ban. Police also used water cannons to disperse demonstrators.
In the northern city of Hamburg, some protesters also shot pyrotechnics toward police and burned down barricades. Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds in Hamburg.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt accused “violent left-wing groups and troublemakers from the immigrant community” of hijacking peaceful demonstrations. He told Bild: “The rioters and looters will be identified and held accountable.”
