Massive Gen Z protests set to sweep cities across Germany
Young people in Germany are taking to the streets in some 34 cities, calling for greater political say and a more hopeful future. The protests come amid a wave of youth demonstrations across Europe. DW has more.
On Saturday, young people across Germany are set to stage a series of protests, inspired by their counterparts in France who have been advocating for improved educational prospects, future opportunities, and a focus on rejecting military conscription and climate protection. The youth initiative "Gen Z regelt" (Gen Z sorts it) is spearheading the movement, organizing demonstrations in Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, and an additional 30 cities through a social media campaign.
The organizers explicitly reject the violence that marred recent demonstrations in France and emphasize the importance of peaceful protests.
However, some conservative politicians, notably Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU), have raised concerns that similar scenes could unfold. The Gen Z organizers have criticized such warnings, arguing that their point about being overlooked and unheard holds true when violence becomes the primary focus instead of addressing the issues at hand.
Supporters of the protests include the Greens' parliamentary party leader Katharina Dröge, who believes that the federal government does not take young people's wishes seriously enough, and the Left Party leader Luigi Pantisano, who sees the protests as timely given the government's consideration of reforms to nursing care and pension systems, which they view as "social cruelties."
As Germany prepares for the mass youth demonstrations, France is also mobilizing 70,000 police officers to monitor around 150 protests across the country, following violent incidents during a demonstration on October 17.
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