DID Press: Protests against social inequality, the education system, rising living costs and compulsory military service have spread across 34 cities in Germany, with organizers estimating that around 160,000 people could take part in the demonstrations.
Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich and Frankfurt were among the cities where protests took place.
The demonstrations were held on Saturday, October 31, following a call by the group “Generation Z Takes Matters into Its Own Hands.” Protesters demanded increased investment in education, lower living costs, greater social justice and an end to compulsory military service. They also criticized cuts to public and educational services.
Reuters reported that preliminary police figures from Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt put the combined number of demonstrators in those three cities at around 18,000. However, a spokesperson for the organizers claimed after the demonstrations that more than 100,000 people had taken part nationwide.
Social analysts say discrepancies over attendance figures do not diminish the significance of the protests. They point to the spread of demonstrations across Europe into the continent’s economic centre, warning that the movement could expand and have broader social and political implications.
Although most demonstrations were peaceful, clashes between protesters and police were reported in several cities.
In Frankfurt, some individuals attacked shops, with at least two stores reportedly looted. Police also reported that incendiary devices and Molotov cocktails were thrown at emergency service personnel. In Hamburg, some street barricades were set on fire, while several police officers were injured in Stuttgart.
Weak economic growth, rising living costs and mounting pressure on public services have contributed to the protests. At the same time, plans to expand compulsory military service have become a major source of discontent among young people.