Violent clashes erupted in multiple cities as night fell as around tens of thousands of young demonstrators flooded streets across German cities on Saturday on October 31, against Chancellor Friedrich Merz's administration in a massive nationwide wave of protests organized under the youth-led initiative ‘Gen Z regelt!', which means Gen Z takes charge.
The movement brought widespread disruptions to major 34 urban cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, and Cologne. Protesters are voicing their opposition to government's shift toward heavy defence spending at the expense of social welfare, pointing to severe public sector cuts and growing economic strain on younger generations.
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Also, the federal plans to revive mandatory military service and a broader push to prepare society for conflict is what led the protest. Demonstrators argued that funding the billions of euros for military expansion directly affected public welfare, leaving universities underfunded, healthcare services strained, and basic public infrastructure decaying.
Surging inflation and the rising cost of living have forced many students to take on part-time employment just to get by, resulting in worsening education pressures, student burnout, and growing economic instability.
While daytime gatherings remained largely peaceful, riots broke out in multiple cities in the night. In Frankfurt, masked groups threw stones, bottles, and fireworks at emergency personnel, and at least two retail stores were looted.
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The police deployed water cannons and pepper spray after barricades were set ablaze in Hamburg and several shops sustained heavy damage. Multiple police officers sustained injuries during the unrest, leading to arrests across Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Cologne.
Distancing themselves from the night's unrest, campaign organisers stressed that the initiative was conceived as a non-violent movement. Its goal, they stated, is strictly to amplify young people's concerns regarding education funding, economic stability, climate policy, and political representation.
Total turnout estimates varied widely across the 34 cities. Organisers scaled back their initial projection of 182,000 participants, later estimating nationwide attendance at around 120,000.
However, official police data from Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich estimated a combined turnout of around 18,000 demonstrators in those three primary hubs, contrasting with the 36,000 claimed by protest organizers for those same locations.
Rioters smashed windows and looted at least two stores along Frankfurt's bustling Die Zeil shopping street during late-night unrest, as per Reuters. Authorities sealed off the area and advised bystanders to evacuate the city center as police worked to restore order.
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