Gen Z regelt calls new protests across Germany for 14 November

A youth-led initiative called Gen Z regelt brought what it says were 100,000 people onto the streets of German cities on Saturday, 31 October, and has called for a new round of protests on 14 November. According to DW, the group has distanced itself from the rioting and looting that broke out after dark in several cities, while politicians and police are giving different accounts of who was behind the violence.

What happened

Gen Z regelt, which DW translates roughly as “Gen Z takes charge”, planned demonstrations in 34 cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne and Munich. A spokesperson for the initiative said on Saturday that “100,000 people showed why they’re taking to the streets”, and added that participation estimates for six to eight cities would follow later.

DW reports that the group’s demands focus on social spending and the cost of living. It wants more funding for schools, addiction treatment and psychotherapy, as well as measures to tackle rising living costs. It also supports social justice and stronger climate protection, and it opposes both the introduction of mandatory military service and any expansion of government surveillance.

Speaking in Berlin on Saturday, Gen Z regelt spokesperson Lina Friedrich said: “We are here today to fight for peace and freedom, rather than for war and coercion.” She added: “What matters most to us is better support for the health and education systems. We are against compulsory military service and we are in favor of a fairer distribution of the burden.”

The marches themselves were largely peaceful, according to police. Andreas Rosskopf, chairman of the police union representing the Bundespolizei (the Federal Police), told the Rheinische Post newspaper that “the Gen Z protests turned out to be very peaceful”. He said the violence that followed came from “autonomous and, in some cases, masked individuals”.

Frankfurt saw the worst of it. Roman Poseck, interior minister of the state of Hesse, said more than 100 officers were injured, one of them seriously. Up to 1,300 officers were on duty overnight. Seventeen shops were damaged and five were looted, and police took 54 people into custody, all aged between 13 and 29. Of the more than 8,000 people who took part in the Frankfurt protest, authorities estimated that 1,000 to 1,500 were violent, “predominantly from a migrant background”. DW notes that after making this claim, Poseck said German citizens made up the vast majority of those detained.

Cologne also saw clashes between rioters and police. Herbert Reul, the state interior minister responsible for the city, said left-wing extremists had hijacked the protests. A Cologne police spokeswoman, however, said the incidents there were more likely linked to Halloween celebrations than to the end of the Gen Z demonstrations.

At federal level, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) told Bild that “violent left-wing groups and troublemakers from migrant communities” had hijacked the peaceful demonstrations. DW points out that he did not elaborate on the identities of those taken into custody. Dobrindt called for “serious penalties” and said the police strategy of a strong visible presence and decentralised deployment had prevented violence on the scale seen in Paris, where riots and looting took place on 17 October.

Gen Z regelt says it had no part in what happened after the marches. “We did not have any influence on what happened after the demonstrations,” its spokesperson said.

Why it matters if you live in Germany

If you live in one of the larger cities, expect another day of demonstrations on 14 November. The October protests covered 34 cities, and DW’s reporting suggests the next round could be similar in reach. On Saturday night police stayed in large numbers on the streets of Frankfurt, and the Federal Interior Minister has praised the visible, decentralised police presence, so a heavy police presence on the next protest day would not be surprising.

The issues behind the protests affect many people who have moved to Germany. Rising living costs, access to psychotherapy and addiction treatment, and funding for schools all shape daily life for residents of every background. The debate about mandatory military service is also directly relevant to young people and their parents.

The political response is worth following closely if you have a migrant background. The interior ministers of Hesse and of the federation both blamed people from migrant communities for part of the violence. Yet Hesse’s own minister said German citizens made up the vast majority of those detained in Frankfurt, and Cologne police linked the trouble there partly to Halloween. These accounts do not line up neatly, and the way the violence is described is likely to shape public debate in the weeks ahead.

What to watch next

• 14 November: Gen Z regelt’s next nationwide protest day. Watch whether turnout matches the 100,000 the group claimed for October.
• Participation figures: The initiative has promised estimates for six to eight cities, which will give a clearer picture of the movement’s size.
• Prosecutions: Dobrindt has said rioters and looters “will be identified and held accountable”. Watch for charges against the 54 people detained in Frankfurt.
• Military service debate: The group’s opposition to compulsory service puts it at the centre of a live political question for young people in Germany.

Source: DW