October 31, 2026
By Stephen Iwuh | Dalena Reporters
Tens of thousands of young people took to the streets across Germany on Saturday as the growing Gen Z protest movement expanded into more than 30 cities, demanding better education, lower living costs and an end to compulsory military service.
The demonstrations, organised by the youth campaign group “Gen Z regelt,” meaning “Gen Z takes charge,” were held in 34 cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. Organisers had initially expected more than 160,000 people to participate, although police estimates in several major cities indicated that the actual turnout was considerably lower.
The rallies are part of a broader wave of youth-led protests that has spread across Europe this year. Young people in several countries have increasingly taken to the streets over economic pressures, education, government policies and concerns about their future. In Serbia, student activism contributed to a major political shift, while protests in France have at times escalated into riots and looting.
In Germany, protesters say they are frustrated by deteriorating public services, rising living costs and what they view as inadequate investment in education. The movement is also strongly opposed to compulsory military service and calls for what organisers describe as a fairer distribution of social and economic burdens.
“We are here today to fight for peace and freedom, rather than for war and coercion,” Gen Z regelt spokesperson Lina Friedrich said at a rally in Berlin, according to Reuters. She said protesters wanted stronger support for Germany’s health and education systems and opposed compulsory military service.
The scale of the demonstrations nevertheless appeared smaller than organisers had predicted. Police in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin reported a combined turnout of as many as 18,000 people, compared with roughly 36,000 participants listed by organisers for those cities.
While most demonstrations remained peaceful, the protests were marred by violence in Frankfurt, Germany’s financial centre. Reuters reported that at least two stores were looted and several others damaged as police attempted to regain control of the situation.
Frankfurt police said violent disturbances were continuing in the city centre, with windows smashed at shops and Molotov cocktails thrown at emergency services. Authorities urged people to avoid the affected areas or leave the city centre.
In Hamburg, some barricades were also set on fire, while businesses in several cities took precautionary measures ahead of the demonstrations. Along Berlin’s upscale Kurfürstendamm shopping boulevard, some retailers boarded up windows and planned to close earlier than usual because of concerns about possible unrest.
German authorities had warned before the demonstrations that extremist groups could attempt to exploit the youth movement. The Federal Interior Ministry said elements of the far-left extremist scene and groups linked to foreign extremist movements had participated in mobilisation efforts.
Roman Poseck, interior minister of the state of Hesse, which includes Frankfurt, urged protesters and authorities not to allow Germany to experience the kind of violence seen during recent demonstrations in France.
“We all have those images from France in our minds — looting, burning houses, burning police vehicles, and attacks on police officers,” Poseck said. “France must not be held up as a model in this regard.”
The protests have also generated debate over who is behind the movement and whether it can accurately be described as entirely youth-led. Although Gen Z regelt presents itself as a youth movement, a broad range of political and civil-society groups have been involved in the mobilisation.
Germany’s national school-student umbrella organisation, the Bundesschülerkonferenz, has distanced itself from Gen Z regelt while saying that students’ concerns remain legitimate. The organisation plans to hold its own protest day on November 20.
For many young demonstrators, however, the central issue is their perception that Germany’s political leadership is failing to address problems that will shape their adult lives.
An 18-year-old protester identified as Steve, who was due to speak at a rally in Munich, said the government had responded to young people’s concerns with continued cuts and additional burdens.
“We will continue to exercise our fundamental right to assemble until you stop ignoring us,” he said.
Students have also highlighted the deteriorating condition of educational infrastructure. Sean Baker, a student at the Technical University of Berlin, said he planned to demonstrate over the condition of university buildings.
“When you go inside and enter the rooms, it looks like an abandoned building,” he told Reuters. “Yet this is where we’re expected to study on a regular basis.”
The demonstrations come as Germany continues to struggle with economic growth while facing increasing pressure on pensions and public services. The retirement of the baby-boomer generation and a shrinking working-age population are creating additional challenges for the country’s economy and public finances.
The German protests also coincide with large demonstrations in France, where authorities deployed tens of thousands of police officers amid fears of renewed violence following previous unrest. Across Europe, the latest protests underline the growing political influence of younger generations who are demanding greater attention to education, living costs, public services, climate concerns and questions surrounding military service.
Although Saturday’s demonstrations were largely peaceful in Germany, the violence reported in Frankfurt and other incidents have added to concerns about whether the movement can maintain its stated focus on peaceful political expression as it grows.