Youth protests under the slogan "Gen Z regelt" have started in over 30 German cities, and by the end of the day the picture was different in different places. In Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt am Main, the demonstrations passed without serious incidents, while in Cologne the police stopped the march and used water cannons due to pyrotechnics and actions of participants determined to be ready for violence.
In Cologne, the demonstration route was stopped due to masked participants and the throwing of pyrotechnics. The police turned the event into a static demonstration near the Rhine, but later began clearing the area. According to data cited by German media, before the water cannons were used, there were attacks with pyrotechnics against law enforcement officers.
In Stuttgart, the police reported more than 3,000 participants, while the organizers estimated their number at around 12,000. The march was stopped several times because of masked faces, smoke bombs and pirates. The police issued an appeal: “Be noisy, but remain peaceful“. Slogans against fascism were also heard during the protest, as well as appeals related to the Palestinian cause.
In Hamburg, several thousand people initially gathered. According to the regional public broadcaster NDR, the group was diverse and included activists on topics such as animal protection, veganism, socialism and Palestine. Later, boos were heard, and the crowd called on the participants to leave the protest and go home.
In Mainz, around 1,200 people took part in the rally, which according to the police was completely peaceful and organized. In Berlin, around 2,700 participants were reported, in Munich - around 1,800, and in Frankfurt am Main - around 1,000. In Cologne, the number remained significantly below the 15,000 people claimed by the organizers.
Demands of the protesters
The demonstrations are aimed at more investment in education, more affordable housing and a lower cost of living, stronger climate policy and more political participation of young people. Some of the participants are also protesting against the possible return of compulsory military service.
According to the organizers, nearly 180,000 people have applied to participate in the protests, but the actual number of attendees in the big cities is lower than the preliminary applications. The representative of the initiative Steve told “Tagesschau“: “We are fed up and collectively decided to protest on October 31.“ He also said that the young people will exercise their right to assembly until politicians stop ignoring them.
The initiative “Gen Z regelt“ is against attempts to use the protests by extremist groups. The organizers state that racism, hatred and violence are not acceptable. However, individual violations and police interventions so far show that in some cities the protests are not proceeding entirely according to the initially declared peaceful format.
Sources: zdfheute.de, rtl.de, tagesschau.de