Thousands protest military rearmament and conscription law in Berlin rallies

Saturday march through Berlin Mitte

Several thousand demonstrators gathered in Berlin on Saturday to protest against military rearmament and the potential reinstatement of compulsory military service. An action alliance composed of multiple peace initiatives organised the demonstration under the slogan "No to excessive rearmament, conscription and war: for peace, democratic rights and social security". Police reported approximately 5,800 participants marching from the Brandenburg Gate through the Mitte district on Saturday afternoon, with a closing rally scheduled back at the monument. Organisers disputed the official tally, asserting that more than 20,000 demonstrators took part in the capital. The alliance also arranged a separate demonstration in Stuttgart on the same day.

Friday rally and youth mobilisation

The Saturday march followed an earlier gathering at the Brandenburg Gate on Friday, which drew primarily young demonstrators for a combined rally and concert. Berlin police estimated attendance at around 2,000 people at 17:00, having previously prepared for up to 30,000 potential participants ahead of the event. Organised under the alliance name "Unconquerable: No desire for war and conscription", the programme ran from 16:00 to 21:00. Musical performances featured Berlin hip-hop group K.I.Z., Hamburg rapper Disarstar, Apsilon, and the punk band Dritte Wahl. Organising and supporting entities included Attac, Greenpeace, Sea-Watch, the German Peace Society (DFG-VK), IPPNW, the Peace Cooperative Network, the Friends of Nature, Medico International, and school strike activists. Ahead of the gathering, social media discussions and music publications such as Musikexpress had promoted the event as a free concert at the monument.

Political speeches and protest demands

Stage presentations throughout Friday included addresses from student representatives, Greenpeace Youth, peace activists, and European Parliament member Martin Sonneborn, who leads the satire party Die Partei. Sonneborn used his speaking slot to criticise Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz directly.

I say it clearly: Merz lick eggs. And as far as I am concerned, he can personally go to the eastern front.

The slogan on Sonneborn's banner mirrored a sign held by an 18-year-old during a student protest in Berlin in early March 2026, which prompted a police investigation for suspected defamation of Merz. Demonstrators carried banners and chanted slogans demanding increased public funding for education, healthcare, and social security rather than defence spending. The organising alliance also called for an end to the recruitment of minors by the Bundeswehr and demanded comprehensive recognition of the right to conscientious objection.

The 2026 military service framework

The demonstrations in Berlin responded to the Military Service Modernisation Act, which took effect in January 2026. Under the new legal framework, German citizens turning 18 receive a Bundeswehr questionnaire evaluating their fitness and willingness to serve in the armed forces. Answering the questionnaire is legally compulsory for men, whereas participation is voluntary for women. Bundeswehr statistics indicate that approximately 350,000 German men turn 18 each year. The legislation establishes mandatory screening for young men born in 2008 and later to expand voluntary enlistment. If voluntary recruitment targets fall short of required corridors, the Bundestag retains statutory authority to decide on reintroducing mandatory military service, which the parliament had suspended in 2011.