Gen Z regelt calls protests in German cities on Saturday, 31 October, amid French unrest fears

Who is behind the call

"Gen Z regelt" (also "Gen Z steht auf") has called for protests, but it is unclear which individuals stand behind it. The imprint on its website was changed twice within one week, and at one point it listed a Swiss address. The group mobilises through its website, TikTok, Instagram and Telegram, both nationally and locally. Jannis Julien Grimm of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Peace and Conflict Research at the Free University of Berlin said such loose structures are typical of an emerging movement.

“In early mobilisation phases, protests often emerge from informal networks, personal contacts and digital communication structures.”

He told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur that a binding organisation, with fixed spokespeople and a written political programme, usually emerges only later, as happened with Fridays for Future. The group says it stands in solidarity with the pupil protests in France. Sources also differ on which birth years define Gen Z: the Pew Research Center uses people born after 1996, while the Federal Agency for Civic Education counts 1995 to 2010, and an institute for generational research cited by NDR counts 1995 to 2009 or 2010.

Where and when

Sources give different numbers of cities. DW's German article cites 23, DW's Turkish article cites 32, RP Online says just under 30, and NDR, citing the organisers, says 28. Protests are planned in Hannover at Opernplatz and in Göttingen at Marktplatz, both starting at 14:00 on 31 October, and Bremen is also on the list for Lower Saxony. The group's website lists about 5,800 registrations for Hannover, while police there expect a turnout in the mid double-digit range. In Göttingen, the organisers report about 80 registrations so far. The state interior ministry declined to forecast attendance, and a spokesperson said online pledges cannot reliably be converted into actual numbers.

Hannover (group website)5,800

Göttingen (organisers)80

Hannover (group website)

5800 people

Göttingen (organisers)

80 people

Data from the article text

Warnings from the CDU

CDU politicians have warned that the weekend could bring violence similar to France. Alexander Throm, the interior expert of the CDU and CSU parliamentary group, told Handelsblatt:

“Scenes like those we saw in France must be prevented at all costs.”

Throm said left-extremist groups and criminals from the migrant milieu could 'hijack' the protests, and he warned of a dangerous alliance, especially in Berlin. Marc Henrichmann, chair of the Bundestag committee that oversees the intelligence services, said the left-extremist scene is networked internationally and in a coordinated way.

The Lower Saxony interior ministry sees no sign of a serious threat from the planned demonstrations and warns against scaremongering, with a spokesperson saying young people must be allowed to protest. The state's constitution protection office has noticed no larger mobilisation by the left-extremist scene, and Hannover police have received no announcements of riots or looting, so no special security measures are planned. Sebastian Koos, a sociologist at the University of Konstanz, told DW that he does not believe Germany will see riots like those in France. Lilli Berthold, deputy general secretary of the German Student Conference (BSK), said the association does not want violence like France's and that the risk comes from groups that could use the protests for their own ends. The BSK has not formally called on students to join.

The open letter to Merz

Focus reports that the group published an open letter on Wednesday, 28 October, addressed to Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his government. It describes its members as pupils, students and young workers, and accuses the government of cutting funds while failing to listen. The letter sets out six demands: money for schools, addiction support and psychotherapy instead of cuts, affordable living, a fair distribution of burdens, no compulsory military service, protection of basic rights against expanded surveillance, and consistent climate protection now.

“Your policy is driving our future against the wall.”

The letter says the protests will be peaceful, loud and determined, and it rules out riots like those in France. Its first signatories include Heidi Reichinnek of Die Linke, Ricarda Lang of the Greens and musician Bela B. The group says there is no place for discrimination of any kind. The first demonstrations are scheduled for Saturday, 31 October, at 14:00 in Hannover and Göttingen.