Demonstrations are planned in 34 cities as Europe braces for more unrest this weekend
Young people are protesting across Germany on Saturday over the cost of living, underfunded education, and the possible reintroduction of military conscription. Organizers expect more than 170,000 participants, with demonstrations planned in 34 German cities including Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Munich.
The demonstrations continue last week’s unrest across Europe, where protesters clashed with riot police over rising living costs and government policies. In France, rallies that began in September with students demanding lower education costs, more teachers, and better school facilities have since escalated into broader anti-government protests across the continent.
The German youth-led movement ‘Gen Z regelt’ (‘Gen Z has got this!’) scheduled its nationwide day of action for Halloween to maximize turnout and visibility.
“We are young people who no longer want to watch decisions about our future being made without us,” the movement says on its website. Organizers say the protests will be peaceful and have asked participants to keep their faces visible, even when wearing Halloween costumes.
Protests have already begun in Cologne, where demonstrators are marching through the streets. Some are carrying placards reading ‘Stop financing Ukraine’.
Additional police have been deployed across the country ahead of the protests. In Berlin, luxury shops along the upscale Kurfuerstendamm boulevard have boarded up their windows as a precaution.
France’s Yellow Vests movement has called for nationwide protests on Saturday as well, billed as the third round of demonstrations following rallies on October 17 and 24. Students and some unions are also expected to join, while the authorities plan to deploy 70,000 police officers.
Elsewhere in Europe, police are on alert for possible weekend unrest, including protests in central Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, and in Rome, Italy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that the recent wave of protests across Western Europe stemmed from the EU’s own mistakes. He added that European countries were struggling to manage the migration crisis.
“Europeans are dismantling their own traditions, making them even less able to pass them on to migrants,” Putin said.
