Student protests in 21 German cities at the end of October amid security warnings

The German Federal Student Congress announced its support for the protests scheduled for October 31 in 21 German cities to demand improved education.

The conference’s spokeswoman, Isabel Zeltenreich, said in statements to the German newspaper “Rheinische Post” that the conference “evaluates the announced protests positively in principle, as long as they are conducted peacefully and democratically,” adding that students have the right and every reason to take to the streets to demand better education and better conditions in their schools.

An online initiative calls for the protests to be organized under the name “Generation Z Takes Over” or “Generation Z Rising Up.” The initiative calls for, among other things, strengthening climate protection, taking measures to confront the rising costs of living, and abolishing compulsory conscription. It also explicitly rejects violence.

“The German Student Congress agrees with many of the demands put forward in the protests taking place in France and Italy,” Zeltenreich said, adding: “These demands include, among other things, improving equipment and infrastructure in schools, providing a sufficient number of teachers, reducing the number of students in classes, improving learning conditions, and establishing an educational system that provides equal opportunities for all young people, regardless of their social backgrounds.” In light of the French and Italian experiences, Zeltenreich warned of the possibility of different political groups exploiting the protests to achieve their goals.

In France, students have been protesting since the end of last September to demand improved school equipment, an increase in the number of teachers, and improved educational conditions. Similar protests spread to Italy, and both countries witnessed riots during these movements.

On the other hand, the head of the German Federation of Police Unions, Jochen Kobilke, believes that the German police are more prepared to deal with violent protests compared to the French police. Kobilke said in statements to Bayern Media Group newspapers: “I think the level of quality and professionalism of the German police is different,” noting that the rules regulating police work in Germany are more modern and focus more on communication. He said: “We adopt different tactics, and we have different equipment.”

The initiative calling for the protest in Germany is likely to rely mainly on the Internet, through influencers declaring their solidarity with the scheduled demonstrations, as well as via social media platforms using the hashtag #genzregelt (#Generation_Z_Taking_Command). The initiative's social media channels have only a relatively small number of followers.

It is difficult to estimate the strength of the crowd before the protests. According to data published on the initiative’s website, about 13,000 people have so far registered to participate in one of the demonstrations.

The Minister of the Interior in the state of Hesse, Roman Busiek, warned of the possibility of extremist groups exploiting the student protests, calling for security vigilance to protect the democratic character of the demonstrations, and pointing to similar fears that accompanied the protests witnessed in France.