Union and SPD warn of extremist infiltration of Germany's 31 October youth protests

Warnings from the Union and SPD

Interior policy spokespeople from the Union and the SPD have warned that the youth protests set for Saturday, 31 October, could be infiltrated by extremists in Germany. Alexander Throm, the interior policy spokesman of the Union parliamentary group, told the Rheinische Post that the risk of takeover by left-wing extremists, parts of the migrant milieu and criminals must be taken very seriously. He called calls on social media worrying (besorgniserregend), although he said such calls are currently in the minority. Throm also said young people must be able to demonstrate peacefully for better education and intergenerational fairness.

“But violence, attacks on police officers or public institutions cross a line and must not be tolerated.”

Sebastian Fiedler, the SPD's interior spokesman and a former chairman of the Bund deutscher Kriminalbeamter, told the same newspaper that violent protests have no justification at any time or in any place. He said he believed security authorities were preparing early and very professionally for possible protests and analysing the situation. He added that it must be examined closely who is stoking tensions in the digital space.

“There is no justification whatsoever for violent protests, at no time and in no place.”

Federal government response

The Federal Interior Ministry said federal and state security authorities are monitoring developments closely and exchanging information, including in the Joint Extremism and Terrorism Defence Centre. A ministry spokesperson said threat assessments are being carried out on an ongoing basis. The domestic intelligence agency Verfassungsschutz is stepping up its monitoring of websites and social media channels where calls for violent participation could be shared. If required, the Federal Police will support the states on 31 October with an evidence-securing and arrest unit. The ministry distinguishes between peaceful school protests and a violence-prone extremist scene that could exploit them. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) told ZDF that Germany has an extremist scene and that foreign members of such scenes have travelled to join protests here, adding that left-wing extremism is returning.

Organisers and the Federal Pupils' Conference

The initiative calling itself 'GenZ regelt' or 'GenZ steht auf' has called for protests on 31 October, with reports giving either 21 or 23 cities. Cities named in the call include Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Cologne. The group campaigns for more climate protection, measures against rising living costs and against compulsory military service, and it explicitly rejects violence. Over the weekend of 24 and 25 October, the Bundesschülerkonferenz distanced itself from the protests.

“Given opaque organisational structures, there is a danger that young people's serious concerns become a plaything of political instrumentalisation and polarisation.”

The student body said this does not do justice to young people's demands for good education and a secure future. Organisers reportedly plan to sell tickets for the demonstrations to keep them under control.

Unrest in other European countries

Young people have taken to the streets in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Belgium and Albania, and in several places the situation escalated. Clashes have already occurred at protests in France and other European countries, and images from Paris showed cars burning near the Arc de Triomphe. In France, the protests focus on conditions in schools, including reports of rats in corridors and a shortage of university places. In Italy, high living costs are fuelling anger, while in Spain and Portugal young people are camping in city centres against exorbitant rents. In Porto, a female theatre teacher is camping on the Praça D. João, where housing prices now take up 70 percent of income. In Albania and Serbia, student protests have long been directed against government corruption.