Gen Z Protests Spread to Germany on Halloween as Hundreds of Thousands March in France

Protests raged across France and Germany on Saturday.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Germany on Saturday as a youth-led protest movement, inspired by demonstrations elsewhere in Europe, called for better education, lower living costs and greater say in decisions affecting their future. The demonstrations, organised under the banner "Gen Z regelt" (Gen Z has got this!), were planned in major cities including Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne and Munich. Organisers chose Halloween to maximise participation and visibility.

The movement is protesting against the rising cost of living, underfunded schools and universities, environmental concerns and the possibility of reintroducing mandatory military service.

"We are young people who no longer want to watch decisions being made about our future without us," the organisers said on their website. They said the demonstrations were intended to remain peaceful and urged participants to keep their faces visible, including those wearing Halloween costumes.

The protests come amid a wider wave of Gen Z-led demonstrations across Europe this year. In Serbia, student-led activism helped unseat the country's long-time leader at the ballot box, while protests in France have escalated into rioting and looting.

German authorities deployed additional police officers nationwide ahead of Saturday's demonstrations.

Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world