German police fire water cannon during tense ‘Gen Z’ protests

Police in Germany used water cannons to disperse protesters on Saturday, as tensions escalated at the end of large youth-led demonstrations. In cities across the country, including Berlin, Frankfurt, and Cologne, demonstrators took to the streets in rallies organized by the group "GenZ regelt!" ("GenZ has got this"). Thousands of police were deployed nationwide, and while most demonstrations remained peaceful, tensions rose in certain areas.

In Cologne, one of the largest demonstrations, police fired a water cannon to disperse a crowd after protesters targeted officers with fireworks. Police spokespersons warned that violence against emergency workers would not be tolerated.

Demonstrators in various cities displayed signs that read "Time for resistance" and "Merz must go," a reference to conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The protests were inspired by similar movements across Europe, including France and Italy. Veronika Dinter, a spokeswoman for the "GenZ regelt!" movement, expressed frustration with the high cost of living, poorly maintained schools, government spending cuts, and what they perceive as politicians disregarding the younger generation's concerns.

They were also unhappy about increased military spending and a new voluntary service model that could lead to a return of conscription.

The protests, which coincided with Halloween, were expected to draw several thousand participants in each city, with around 5,000 in Berlin and 8,000 in Frankfurt. However, the numbers were lower than the 170,000 organizers had hoped for. Authorities were concerned that the demonstrations could turn violent, reminiscent of recent events in France, where nationwide demonstrations led to some of the country's worst riots in years.

Despite the police's warnings about potential violence, the "GenZ regelt!" movement explicitly rejected it, stating that extremist groups, anti-constitutional symbols, racism, and hate speech had no place in their protests. A protest expert from Berlin's Humboldt University emphasized the potential for a major movement to emerge in Germany, noting differences with the confrontational forms of protest typical in France.