A new student group in Germany is planning strikes at up to 35 universities in 33 cities on November 20, when pan-European protests are scheduled to take place. The “Gen Z regelt! Studis” initiative announced its intention to join the demonstrations and expand the protests at German higher-education institutions.
The information was reported by the German Press Agency (dpa), citing a representative of the initiative. According to the organizers, around 90 students gathered in Hanover over the weekend to establish the new group. It includes representatives of student organizations, youth groups and activist collectives.
Students will vote locally
General assemblies at higher-education institutions are planned for the week before November 20. At these meetings, students are expected to decide whether to go on strike through a democratic vote and majority decision. If the proposal is approved, the organizers want to halt or seriously limit academic activities on the day of the pan-European protests.
It has not yet been decided exactly what the strikes will look like at each higher-education institution. The format is to be determined at local assemblies, with the initiative stating that the goal is not to hold small symbolic actions, but to involve hundreds of students.
“Either we watch as our future is taken away from us, or we succeed in winning a future worth living in,” said student Veronika Dinter, as quoted by German media.Demands include education and refusal of military service
The group’s political demands include more funding for education, an end to cuts and universities’ withdrawal from participation in military research. The students also oppose the policy of rearmament and the reintroduction of compulsory military service.
The initiative is also calling for an end to the series of fixed-term contracts at universities, which it says create insecurity for lecturers and researchers. The group declares its opposition to all wars and genocide, as well as its support for higher taxation of wealth.
The strikes at higher-education institutions are part of the broader mobilization of the “Gen Z regelt” movement, which has organized youth protests in Germany in recent weeks. On November 20, the student actions are expected to take place alongside demonstrations in other European countries.
Sources: taz.de, welt.de, ndr.de