Massive Gen Z protests sweep cities across Germany

On October 31, 2026, thousands of young protesters took to the streets of various cities across Germany, demanding greater involvement in decision-making processes and addressing pressing issues such as climate change and military conscription. In Cologne, police called off the planned procession after some participants covered their faces and used pyrotechnics, resulting in a stationary rally along the Rhine riverbank.

Similar protests occurred in Stuttgart, where police repeatedly stopped marchers for covering their faces and leaving the agreed route, as well as in other cities like Frankfurt, Mainz, Munich, and Berlin.

According to attendance estimates, the Cologne protest was the largest in North Rhine-Westphalia, with around 15,000 participants. However, actual turnout remained unclear, with nearly 180,000 people having pledged online to attend the nationwide events. Police warned of potential infiltration by extremist groups, and organizers of the youth protests accused the media of stoking fears of violence and diverting attention from their core demands.

Education researcher Nina Kolleck cautioned that excluding young people from the political process creates the impression that there is a policy for the old, but not for the young. She emphasized the disproportionate impact of climate change on younger generations and warned that populist parties could exploit the resulting political vacuum. In response to the protests, politicians have urged involving young people in decision-making or risk losing their support.