Demonstrators marched in 34 German cities on Saturday, among them Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich, to demand better education and lower living costs.
asserted
Demonstrators → march → education
The campaign group behind the protests, "Gen Z regelt" – "Gen Z takes charge" in German – says it opposes compulsory military service and wants greater investment in education.
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it → take → education
It argues many young Germans are struggling with rising costs.
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Germans → argue → costs
The demonstrations follow a wave of Gen Z-led protests elsewhere in Europe this year.
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demonstrations → follow → Europe
In Serbia, student-led activism helped unseat the country's longtime leader at the ballot box.
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activism → lead → box
In France, protests have descended into rioting and looting.
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protests → descend → rioting
Official numbers on Saturday afternoon suggested turnout was below the 182,000 participants that organisers initially expected.
uncertain
organisers → suggest → that
Police in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin reported as many as 18,000 protesters, half the roughly 36,000 on the organisers' website.
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Police → report → website
German authorities said Saturday's demonstrations, which coincide with Halloween festivities, had been largely peaceful.
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which → say → festivities
They warned of attempts by extremist groups to exploit the movement.
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They → warn → movement
In Hamburg, some barricades had been set on fire.
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barricades → set → fire
In Frankfurt, Germany's financial hub, at least two stores were looted as protests turned violent, according to a Reuters witness.
Several more stores were damaged.
uncertain
stores → loot → witness
Police were trying to get the situation under control.
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Police → try → control
"Violent disturbances are continuing," Frankfurt police said on X. "In the city centre, windows have been smashed at several shops.
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windows → continue → shops
Molotov cocktails are also being thrown at the emergency services.
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cocktails → throw → services
We urge all bystanders to avoid the city centre or to leave the area.
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We → urge → area
"
"We are here today to fight for peace and freedom, rather than for war and coercion," Gen Z regelt spokesperson Lina Friedrich said in Berlin on Saturday.
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Friedrich → fight → Saturday
"What matters most to us is better support for the health and education systems.
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matters → matter → systems
Parts of Germany's far-left extremist scene and some groups linked to foreign extremist movements have joined efforts to mobilise support, according to the federal interior ministry.
uncertain
Parts → link → ministry
"We all have those images from France in our minds — looting, burning houses, burning police vehicles, and attacks on police officers," said Roman Poseck, interior minister for the state of Hesse, which includes Germany's financial hub, Frankfurt.
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which → have → hub
France must not be held up as a model in this regard."
Some businesses across German cities boarded up windows and planned early closures ahead of the demonstrations due to concerns over possible unrest.
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businesses → hold → unrest
They included shops along Berlin's luxury Kurfuerstendamm shopping boulevard.
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They → include → boulevard
Organisers have focused on what they see as the growing pressure on younger generations in Europe's largest economy.
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they → focus → economy
"The government has offered no response to our concerns other than to continue making cuts and piling further burdens upon us," said Steve, an 18-year-old due to speak at a rally in Munich, addressing Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
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Steve → offer → Merz
"We will continue to exercise our fundamental right to assemble until you stop ignoring us."
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you → continue → us
Germany has struggled to revive economic growth.
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Germany → struggle → growth
The country also faces growing pressure on pensions and public services as baby boomers retire and the working-age population shrinks.
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population → face → pensions
Questions have been raised about who is driving the campaign and whether it is genuinely youth-led, given the broad mix of political and civil society groups involved.
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it → raise → groups
Germany's national school student umbrella organisation, BSK, has distanced itself from the initiative.
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organisation → distance → initiative
It plans to hold a separate day of protest on November 20.
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It → plan → November
Sean Baker, a student at the Technical University of Berlin, said he would join the protests on Saturday to call attention to the poor state of buildings on campus.
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he → say → campus
"When you go inside and enter the rooms, it looks like an abandoned building," he told Reuters.
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he → go → Reuters
"Yet this is where we're expected to study on a regular basis."
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we → expect → basis
The looting in Frankfurt came late on Saturday, after tens of thousands of demonstrators had taken to the streets across Germany's biggest cities.
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thousands → come → cities
Hooded rioters carried out the looting.
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rioters → carry → looting
The Aporia
