Protestsupdated 1h ago2 min read
MapGen Z Regelt Protests Draw Thousands in Berlin and Cologne as France Continues Weekend Rallies
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This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Berlin and Cologne host large Gen Z protests as Germany plans rallies in 30 cities. France enters third weekend of cost-of-living protests with nationwide police deployment.
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Berlin and Cologne flare
Thousands of people gathered in Berlin and more than 30 other German cities as the youth-led protests organized by “Gen Z Regelt” took place on Saturday at the Platz des 18 Maerz near the Brandenburg Gate. The rally was expected to start at 2pm (13:00 GMT), and the Berlin demonstration was expected to last two hours with another one planned at 5:30pm (16:30 GMT) in a different part of the German capital.
In Cologne, scuffles broke out between protesters and police, and police moved in to contain a march there. In France, the third consecutive weekend of demonstrations continued under tight security measures, and the French Interior Ministry said estimates indicated total participants in protests nationwide reached about 15,000 people, while Le Journal Libération quoted the youth union coordination as saying estimates indicated half a million protesters nationwide including 200,000 in Paris.
Students accuse and police respond
Veronika Dinter, a 23-year-old political science student who traveled to Berlin from Hannover, said, “This crisis is the political failure of our government.” Emma Heymann, a 24-year-old student living in Berlin, said, “they are spending billions on the military and spending money to fund the genocide in Gaza,” as she described cuts affecting her quality of life.
In Germany, police fired water cannon to disperse firework-hurling protesters in Cologne, and a police statement said, “We will not tolerate violence against emergency workers.” In Berlin, demonstrators hurled bottles and eggs, and France’s protests were also continuing for a third straight weekend as authorities sought to avoid a repetition of unrest that included acts of violence and looting in several cities.
Security, turnout, and next steps
French authorities deployed about 70,000 security personnel across the country and imposed restrictions and curfews in specific areas, while police arrested 27 people in connection with the protests since Saturday morning. Germany deployed additional security personnel, and Berlin deployed 1,500 additional security personnel to control the situation as the protests demanded increased investments in education, housing, climate, and combat rising prices.
In the Netherlands, The Hague saw intensive security presence, searches of youths, and reinforcement of shopfronts with wooden boards for fear of riots and looting after calls spread on social networks to protest. In France, protests were expected to continue under an exceptional security setup, and the protests were framed as a third act after demonstrations on October 17 and October 24, with the next nationwide strike and mobilization called by the inter-union coalition set for November 5.