Tens of thousands of people took to the streets this Saturday in the main cities of Germany in mostly peaceful marches to demand better funding for education, greater social justice, and to denounce the rising cost of living. After the gatherings, however, some isolated disturbances were recorded.
The authorities have reported injured officers in Frankfurt, the burning of barricades in Hamburg, and attacks with bottles and pyrotechnic material in Berlin. In response, the Police have resorted to water cannons in several cities to disperse the most violent groups.
The mobilization has been driven by the youth collective Gen Z Regelt (Gen Z Se Hace Cargo), which has promoted gatherings in more than thirty localities. Among its main demands are more resources for education, better treatments for addictions and psychotherapy, more forceful measures against climate change, and rejection of military service, in keeping with similar protests in other European countries.
Despite the extensive media coverage and strong dissemination on social networks, participation has not reached the initial expectations. The organizers maintain, however, that more than 100,000 people have backed the protests throughout the country, not only in the large cities, but also in medium-sized cities such as Erfurt, Muenster, Nuremberg or Karlsruhe.
"Today 100,000 people have shown why they take to the streets," a spokesperson for the initiative, identified only as Amadeo, has emphasized, who has said that his intention is to take young people back to the streets in three weeks. "This is only the first step for us. We want to take part in the European protests of November 20," he said in statements to DPA.
During the marches, banners were seen with messages such as "Our future is not for sale", "System change, not climate change", "Education, not bombs" or "Eat the rich". From Gen Z Regelt they have insisted on their call to keep the protests peaceful and have rejected any type of violence.
Criticism of the focus on the unrest
Before the demonstrations had even begun, Gen Z Regelt had already reproached the media and the authorities for focusing on the possibility of violent incidents instead of highlighting the political demands. "That shows that we are right that they do not take us seriously and do not listen to us. Nobody wants to talk about these issues. It is always about the violence," a spokesperson for the collective has complained.
Sporadic incidents after the marches
The Police union has confirmed that the rallies were largely peaceful and that the problems occurred only once the marches had ended. "The Gen Z demonstrations have been very peaceful," the police union spokesperson, Andreas Rosskopf, has indicated in statements to the newspaper 'Rheinische Post'.
According to Rosskopf, the riots would have been caused by groups of hooded men and left-wing radicals, against whom the officers intervened when they considered it necessary, using water cannons and pepper spray. The police deployment remains on alert during the night to prevent new incidents, although for the moment no serious damage has been confirmed.
"What has happened after the demonstrations is beyond our control," Amadeo has emphasized.
In Frankfurt, the Police estimates that around 8,000 people demonstrated and has reported several officers injured by the throwing of firecrackers by some individuals, according to what the Interior Minister of Hesse, Roman Poseck, has explained. Faced with the repeated attacks with stones and firecrackers, the security forces used water cannons to disperse the aggressors.
In Bremen, several police officers were hit and kicked in isolated incidents and a trash container was set on fire. "We can no longer keep talking about a completely peaceful demonstration," a police spokesperson has indicated. In this city, the march brought together around 2,800 people.
In Berlin, there have also been sporadic incidents after the demonstration in the center, called by left-wing groups from the Brandenburg Gate. In the vicinity of Hackesche Hoefe, eggs, bottles and firecrackers have been thrown at the officers.
In Hamburg, the march of about 6,700 people has taken place without noteworthy incidents, although disturbances were later recorded near the central station. People dressed in black, some with their faces covered, have thrown pyrotechnics and have knocked down and set fire to plastic barriers. The Police have resorted to water cannons to put out the flames and to pepper spray to disperse the crowd.
In Cologne, the security forces have decided to dissolve the demonstration after some participants covered their faces and lit pyrotechnic devices. German regulations prohibit demonstrators from hiding their identity during protests.