Thousands of young people took to the streets across Germany on Saturday to protest rising living costs, inadequate funding for education and proposed government spending cuts, with demonstrations turning violent in several major cities later in the day.The protests, organised under the banner Gen Z regelt, loosely translated as “Gen Z Got This”, were held in more than 30 cities, drawing thousands of participants demanding greater government attention to issues affecting their generation.Beyond economic concerns, the demonstrators opposed the possible reintroduction of compulsory military service, arguing that public resources should be directed towards improving essential services, particularly healthcare and education.While the demonstrations were largely peaceful during the day, tensions escalated at night in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne and Leipzig, prompting police to deploy water cannons, pepper spray and tear gas to control the crowds.
In Frankfurt, masked individuals reportedly smashed shop windows, looted commercial establishments and attacked police officers with stones, fireworks and Molotov cocktails. Several officers sustained injuries during the confrontations, while police reportedly took approximately 30 people into custody.Frankfurt’s State Interior Minister, Roman Poseck, said authorities believed about 100 individuals involved in the attacks were motivated by extreme left-wing ideology.In Hamburg, the situation also deteriorated as some protesters reportedly fired pyrotechnics at security personnel, erected burning barricades, smashed shop windows and set rubbish bins on fire. Police responded with water cannons and tear gas in an effort to disperse the demonstrators.
However, organisers maintained that the demonstrations were primarily driven by demands for better living conditions and opposition to policies they considered restrictive.Lina Friedrich, a spokesperson for Gen Z regelt, said the movement was advocating peace and freedom rather than war and coercion.According to Friedrich, the protesters were particularly concerned about inadequate support for healthcare and education, compulsory military service and what they described as an unfair distribution of national responsibilities.
The demonstrations in Germany come amid growing youth-led activism in Europe, with France also witnessing large-scale protests. More than 320,000 people reportedly participated in demonstrations there for a third consecutive weekend.The developments highlight the growing concerns among young Europeans over economic pressures, public spending priorities, educational opportunities and government policies affecting their future.
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