Thousands rally across Germany in protests over cost of living and military spending

The demonstration at the Platz des 18 Maerz, on the west side of the Brandenburg Gate, drew a mixed crowd of students, anti-fascist activists and older supporters ahead of the 2pm start. The main host cities included Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich and Berlin, while nearly 180,000 people across 34 cities had signed up by Saturday morning to participate in protests organised by a loose alliance called Gen Z Regelt (Gen Z sorts it).

Scuffles broke out between protesters and police in Cologne, where officers moved to contain a march.

The protest organisers outlined six key issues including the rising cost of living, education cuts, and military conscription.

Students at the Berlin rally expressed anger and frustration at funding cuts while the government increases military spending, but also a sense of hope inspired by student protests in other European countries in recent weeks.

Veronika Dinter, a 23-year-old political science student from Hannover, said she had to take on a part-time job to fund her studies because of high living costs.

“I wanted to start studying to develop critical thinking and learn something new, but I didn’t realise how much it would cost to do so. I think this is something a lot of people in my generation are experiencing right now,” she said. “Funding for education and social services are being cut, while the cost of living keeps rising. Universities are struggling, institutes are closing, teachers are losing their jobs and education facilities are literally falling apart.”

She called the situation “the political failure of our government” and said Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his rich friends were funding the military with billions of euros instead of solving the crisis.

Emma Heymann, a 24-year-old student living in Berlin, said her generation feels angry because cuts affect their quality of life while the government spends billions on the military and to fund what she called the genocide in Gaza.

Phil Tziartzianis, who travelled eight hours from Kassel, said it felt important to be among other young people who share his feelings.

The protest is part of a wave of demonstrations that have recently taken place in France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Serbia.

Kilian Hampel, a senior research fellow at the University of Konstanz's Future of Work Lab, said the frustration has been building for years but that young people here are feeling they can take their worries to the streets. He said many of their concerns, particularly around poor educational infrastructure, are legitimate and that they should be listened to.

The Berlin demonstration is expected to last two hours, with another rally organised by a different alliance planned later in the afternoon.

Political figures have raised concerns about the protests turning violent in the past week, but demonstrators said the narrative of violence distracts from the issues. Dinter urged police not to confront the demonstrations with any kind of violence, adding: “We stand in solidarity with all the people around the world who are fighting for an affordable life, for more investment in the education system, and against wars and military buildup.”