Germany Gen Z Protests Turn Tense, Water Cannon Used
Germany Gen Z protests turned tense on Saturday evening, as police fired a water cannon in Cologne to disperse a crowd after protesters aimed fireworks at officers. The rallies, organised by the youth movement “GenZ regelt!”, had been mostly peaceful through the day in Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne and dozens of other cities.
Thousands of police were deployed across the country for the demonstrations, which coincided with Halloween. After a calm start, tensions rose in the evening in several cities, and police moved against crowds in Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Berlin.
The day’s events follow rallies Feature Pakistan previewed on Saturday, when more than 160,000 people were expected to join Gen Z protests across Germany. Turnout fell short of that hope, and the evening’s clashes now frame how the movement is judged.
Germany Gen Z protests: where tensions rose
In the western city of Cologne, where one of the biggest demonstrations took place, police fired a water cannon to disperse a crowd after saying protesters had targeted officers with fireworks. A march through the city was halted after demonstrators started setting off fireworks.
“We will not tolerate violence against emergency workers,” said a police statement. Police in Cologne later said their measures were directed against troublemakers and violent individuals, not against peaceful participants.
A march was also temporarily halted in Frankfurt after protesters set off fireworks. In Berlin, protesters hurled bottles and eggs, while protesters set barricades ablaze in Hamburg, and police used pepper spray on demonstrators in some places, Germany’s daily Bild reported. CNN also reported water cannons and riot police deployed in Cologne and Hamburg, with barriers set on fire in Hamburg.
Police put turnout at several thousand in Cologne, around 5,000 in Berlin and 8,000 in Frankfurt, with sizeable gatherings elsewhere, although the numbers were below the 170,000 nationwide that organisers had hoped for.
What the protesters want
The movement’s complaints range from the high cost of living to poorly maintained schools, government spending cuts and, more broadly, what it sees as politicians making decisions with little regard for the younger generation. Demonstrators also oppose sharply increased military spending and a new voluntary service model aimed at boosting troop numbers, fearing it is a step towards bringing back conscription.
“We’re taking to the streets for a life that everyone can afford,” said Veronika Dinter, a spokeswoman for the “GenZ regelt!” movement. “Hardly anyone still believes in a better future if everything just continues as it is.”
Demonstrators waved signs that read “Time for resistance” and “Merz must go”, in reference to conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The movement explicitly rejects violence, and it stresses that extremist groups, anti-constitutional symbols, racism and hate speech have no place in its ranks, no matter from which side they come.
A wider European wave
The German rallies do not stand alone. They follow a wave of Gen Z-led demonstrations across Europe this year, including a third straight weekend of protests in France. The French government estimated about 320,000 people joined demonstrations nationwide on Saturday, with clashes in Paris as youth-led protests over education, living costs and housing spread across Europe.
Italy has seen the same wave, with students and workers taking to the streets across the country. Authorities had worried the Halloween protests could be marred by violence seen elsewhere in Europe, and some Berlin shops had boarded up windows as a precaution.
Frequently asked questions
Where did German police use a water cannon?
Police fired a water cannon in Cologne to disperse a crowd after saying protesters had targeted officers with fireworks. A march through the city was halted after demonstrators started setting off fireworks.
How many people joined the Germany Gen Z protests?
Police put the turnout at several thousand in Cologne, around 5,000 in Berlin and 8,000 in Frankfurt, with sizeable gatherings elsewhere. The numbers were below the 170,000 nationwide that organisers had hoped for.
What do the protesters want?
They want a life that everyone can afford, greater investment in education, better schools, and relief from living costs. They also oppose higher military spending and a new voluntary service model they fear is a step towards bringing back conscription.
Were the protests peaceful?
Most demonstrations were peaceful through the day, but tensions rose in the evening. Police reported fireworks aimed at officers in Cologne and Frankfurt, bottles and eggs hurled in Berlin, and barricades set ablaze in Hamburg.
