Thousands rally in Berlin as Gen Z plans protests in 30 German cities | Protests News
Berlin, Germany – Thousands of demonstrators have assembled in Berlin and over 30 other cities across Germany as the nation joins a continent-wide movement of student protests.
On a brisk Saturday afternoon, participants gathered at the Platz des 18. März near the historic Brandenburg Gate. The crowd included a diverse mix of individuals, from anti-fascist activists in keffiyehs to students in Halloween costumes, and older participants wearing badges that read “Omas gegen Rechts” (grandmothers against the right).
The protests were organized by an alliance known as Gen Z Regelt (Gen Z sorts it), which reported that nearly 180,000 people had registered to participate by Saturday morning, with major gatherings planned in cities including Frankfurt, Cologne, and Munich. The Berlin rally alone attracted close to 12,000 attendees, who continued to arrive as the event commenced at 2 p.m. (13:00 GMT).
While the atmosphere in Berlin remained peaceful, tensions escalated in Cologne, where clashes erupted between protesters and police, who intervened to manage the situation.
Protest organizers highlighted six primary issues prompting the demonstrations, including rising living costs, cuts to education funding, and military conscription.
Veronika Dinter, a 23-year-old political science student who traveled from Hannover to join the Berlin rally, expressed her frustration over funding cuts while the government increases military expenditures. “I didn’t realize how much it would cost to pursue my studies,” she said. “This is a reality many in my generation face. Our universities are struggling, teachers are losing their jobs, and educational facilities are deteriorating.”
Emma Heymann, a 24-year-old student in Berlin, echoed Dinter’s sentiments, noting the disconnect between government spending on the military and the impact of budget cuts on quality of life. “Our generation feels very angry at the government because they are making these huge cuts that are affecting our quality of life,” she said.
Phil Tziartzianis traveled from Kassel to participate in the protest, feeling compelled to join others with similar concerns. The demonstrations in Germany are part of a broader wave that has recently swept across Europe, with significant protests reported in countries such as France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Serbia.
Kilian Hampel, a senior research fellow at the Future of Work Lab at the University of Konstanz, acknowledged the growing discontent among young people. “It’s important that they are listened to,” Hampel said, emphasizing that many of their concerns about educational infrastructure are valid.
The Berlin demonstration is set to continue for two hours, with an additional rally scheduled at 5:30 p.m. (16:30 GMT) in another location within the city.
In recent days, some political leaders have raised concerns about the protests escalating into violence; however, protesters argue that focusing on potential violence distracts from the critical issues at hand. “We urge the police to not confront our demonstrations with any kind of violence,” Dinter stated. “We stand in solidarity with all those fighting for an affordable life, increased investment in education, and opposition to war and military buildup.”
