Thousands of young people protested in Germany, incidents…

Thousands of young people protested in Germany, incidents occurred in Berlin

31.10.2026 20:25 HotInfo

Nationwide protests by young people under the slogan "Gen Z regelt" took place in Germany on Saturday. Rallies were held in 34 cities and an estimated more than 160,000 people may have taken part. Participants demanded mainly higher investment in education, more affordable living costs, greater social security, stronger climate protection and greater opportunities to participate in decision-making. Der Standard ↗

In Berlin, the protest began with a peaceful gathering at the Brandenburg Gate. Later, hundreds of people gathered again in the city center, and police reported the first incidents. Eggs were thrown near Hackescher Höfe, and by evening the mood, according to observers, differed significantly from the calm atmosphere of the afternoon protest. Police had also prepared extensive security measures and had warned of possible conflicts. Tagesspiegel ↗

Protests also took place in Hamburg, Munich, Leipzig, Stuttgart, Frankfurt am Main, Cologne and Bremen. Most of the marches were largely peaceful, but riots were reported in Cologne, Hamburg and Bremen. Deutschlandfunk ↗

Before the protests, the Gen Z regelt initiative criticized the fact that public debate was focusing mainly on fears of violence and not sufficiently on the demands of young people. Federal Education Minister Karin Prien offered talks to peacefully protesting participants, while demanding a credible rejection of violence. Further developments will depend on an evaluation of the protests and on how politicians respond to the social and educational demands of young people. Welt ↗

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