Gen Z group calls for new protests
The group that organized this weekend’s protests, “Gen Z regelt” roughly “Gen Z takes charge,” distanced itself from violent riots that occurred after the rallies and called for new demonstrations later this month.
The initiative’s organizers issued a positive assessment of protests across Germany.
“Today, 100,000 people showed why they’re taking to the streets,” a spokesperson for the initiative said Saturday, adding that estimates of participation in six to eight cities would come later.
Gen Z regelt planned protests in 34 cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne and Munich, and has called for people to take to the streets again on November 14.
The group has called for more funding for schools, addiction treatment, and psychotherapy as well as measures to combat rising living costs. While it promotes social justice and greater climate protection, it opposes the introduction of mandatory military service, as well as an expansion of government surveillance.
“We are here today to fight for peace and freedom, rather than for war and coercion,” Gen Z regelt spokesperson Lina Friedrich said Saturday in Berlin. “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.”
Gen Z regelt distanced itself from the violent riots and looting that followed the protests in some cities.
“We did not have any influence on what happened after the demonstrations,” the group’s spokesperson said.
Police also confirmed the demonstrations themselves were largely peaceful and that looting and riots afterward were set off by extremists using the protests for cover.
“The Gen Z protests turned out to be very peaceful,” Andreas Rosskopf, chairman of the police union representing the Federal Police, told the Rheinische Post. He added that the groups responsible for the violence consisted of “autonomous and, in some cases, masked individuals.”
In Cologne, which also saw looting, a police spokeswoman said the incidents were more likely linked to Halloween celebrations than to the aftermath of the Gen Z protests.
