Around 100,000 people demonstrated in Berlin and roughly 30 other German cities against the high cost of living, cuts to public spending and plans to restore military conscription. Their demands also included more funding for education. Although organisers advocated peaceful protest, violence broke out late Saturday: demonstrators blocked trams, threw fireworks and bottles at police, and damaged buildings. In Frankfurt, masked people were filmed breaking into shops; reports also described looting and attacks on officers. Police halted protests in Frankfurt and Hamburg, and Berlin police made 56 arrests. Hesse’s premier condemned the violence, while some young protesters argued that confrontation might be justified if authorities ignored them.
Opposition to conscription reflects concern that young people are underpaid and stressed while being asked to prepare for military service. Germany has increased medical screenings ahead of a planned rollout in July 2027 for young men born in 2008 or later. The unrest echoed protests in France, where 320,000 people marched, but a much larger security deployment helped limit disorder: about 70,000 police and gendarmes were mobilised, and 65 people were arrested, compared with 1,435 during the previous month’s unrest. French authorities said security forces stopped groups seeking to break away from marches and loot or cause destruction in several cities. Though some clashes occurred, the demonstrations largely proceeded without a repeat of the widespread violence seen earlier.
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