Germany prepares for mass protests by Generation Z. Police fear unrest
Today, Germany will host 35 demonstrations organized by the youth movement "Gen Z regelt" ("Generation Z decides").
The largest rallies are expected in Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Munich.
According to Bild, over 160,000 people have declared their intention to participate in the protests on the organizers' website. However, authorities emphasize that these numbers do not allow for determining the actual number of demonstrators.
Participants are protesting against the rising cost of living, the possible reintroduction of compulsory military service, and the expansion of state surveillance, and are also demanding stronger climate protection measures.
Police are preparing for possible unrest. In Berlin, an additional 1,500 officers will be deployed. Around ten thousand people are expected at the rally near the Brandenburg Gate. Despite this, law enforcement assesses the risk of clashes as low.
Greater concern is raised by another demonstration, which will begin in the evening at Rosenthaler Platz. Participants are expected to include representatives of left-wing radical and pro-Palestinian movements.
In Frankfurt, police have information about the possible arrival of around 80 left-wing extremists prone to violence. In the city center, some shops have proactively boarded up their display windows with wooden shields.
Meanwhile, the organizers of the German Generation Z movement themselves openly oppose violence and declare the peaceful nature of the planned protests.