Gen Z regelt plans protests in 34 German cities on Saturday, 31 October

What is planned

The Gen Z regelt initiative has called for demonstrations in 34 German cities on Saturday, 31 October 2026, a day that coincides with Halloween. More than 160,000 people had registered through the organisers' website by Friday, and organisers expect over 165,000 participants. The largest rallies are planned in Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt and Munich. In Berlin, around 10,000 people are expected at the Brandenburg Gate on Saturday afternoon, mostly pupils, students and parents, with a smaller gathering in the Mitte district in the early evening.

Demands and the movement

The movement says it was created only a few weeks ago and is run by a central coordinating team of 30 people. Its demands include opposition to a possible return of compulsory military service, relief from the high cost of living, and more investment in schools, universities, social security, health care and climate protection. Organisers accept responsibility for content and organisation in only four of the 34 cities: Cologne, Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. At a press conference on the evening of Friday, 30 October, they accused the federal government of ignoring young people. A 2025 study by the German Economic Institute puts education's share of total spending at 9.2% in Germany, against 12.4% in Scandinavian countries and an EU average of 9.6%.

Germany9.2%

Scandinavian countries12.4%

EU average9.6%

Germany

9.2 %

Scandinavian countries

12.4 %

EU average

9.6 %

Data from the article text

Security preparations

Berlin police chief Barbara Slowik Meisel announced 1,500 additional officers but said there was no specific information about planned looting. The federal interior ministry said it had received no information about calls for violence, though a spokesperson said parts of the left-wing extremist scene and extremist groups from abroad were also responding to the calls. Border checks with France and Italy are already under way, and the spokesperson said some people would be deported if necessary. Hesse interior minister Roman Poseck pointed to looting, arson and attacks on police in France and said France should not serve as a model. Several shops along Berlin's Kurfürstendamm boarded up their windows and planned to close early.

Political reactions and the wider wave

CDU lawmaker Alexander Throm wrote in Handelsblatt that scenes like those in France must be prevented at any cost. Greens co-chair Felix Banaszak criticised linking the protests to violence in advance, warning that such rhetoric could push people toward radicalisation. Federal family minister Karin Prien (CDU) said young people have reasonable concerns and should join political parties without becoming violent. SPD youth policy spokesperson Jasmin Hostert said her party would listen to and support the concerns. Former Greens leader Ricarda Lang criticised the debate for focusing on possible violence. In France, interior minister Laurent Nuñez called Saturday a day of very high risk, with 70,000 police officers on standby. Student and pupil protests have also shaken Italy, Spain, Portugal and Albania.