The key facts

  • The initiative 'Gen Z steht auf' announced protests for October 31 in six or more German cities
  • Themes: cuts to education and social spending, rising cost of living, plans for military conscription
  • Berlin police fear radicals hijacking the protests; organizers state the actions are peaceful

Call for nationwide protests

A new student initiative in Germany called 'Gen Z steht auf' ('Generation Z rises') has called for nationwide protests on October 31. Actions are planned in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich and other cities. According to the organizers, the demonstrations are meant to draw attention to cuts in education and social spending, the rising cost of living, and plans to introduce military conscription.

Police concerns

Berlin police expressed concern that radical groups may attempt to exploit the student protests for their own purposes. 'We will not allow that,' police spokesman Florian Nath said in a comment to the DPA agency, adding that the authorities will carefully assess whether these are legitimate student actions or an attempt to use Halloween night for someone else's ends. According to sources in the security services cited by the media, radicals may try to turn the gatherings into street chaos, using the protests as cover for violence, arson, or clashes with police.

The organizers' position

Co-initiator Akram Selo emphasized in local media that the demonstrations must proceed peacefully, and the group clearly distances itself from any violence. In its programmatic document, the initiative demands a policy that invests in education, social protection, healthcare, and affordability of life, rather than saving money at the expense of the young generation. 'We are young people who no longer want to watch decisions about our future being made without us being heard,' the organizers stated, adding that October 31 is 'only the beginning.'