BERLIN: Thousands of people across Germany joined demonstrations on Saturday, as a youth-led movement inspired by protests elsewhere in Europe took to the streets to demand better education and lower living costs. The protests follow a wave of Gen Z-led demonstrations across Europe this year. In Serbia, student-led activism helped unseat the country's long-time leader at the ballot box, while protests in France have descended into rioting and looting.
The German protests organised by the campaign group "Gen Z regelt" - Gen Z takes charge in German - are planned in 34 cities including Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. The group says it opposes compulsory military service and wants greater investment in education as many young Germans struggle with rising costs. Official numbers on Saturday afternoon suggested participant turnout was significantly below the 182,000 organisers initially expected. Police in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin reported 6,000 protesters, compared with around 36,000 on the organisers' website.
German authorities say they expect Saturday's demonstrations, which coincide with Halloween festivities, to be largely peaceful but have warned of attempts by extremist groups to exploit the movement. Some businesses across German cities boarded up windows and planned early closures ahead of the demonstrations due to concerns over possible unrest, including along Berlin's luxury Kurfuerstendamm shopping boulevard. — Reuters
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