German Gen Z protests turn violent in Hamburg as police deploy water cannons

Under the slogan "Gen Z regelt" (Gen Z sorts it out), young people are demonstrating in more than 30 cities for better education, climate protection, and affordable living. Pyrotechnics were set off in several cities; the situation remained largely peaceful.

Nationwide protests by the "Gen Z regelt" initiative are underway. In Hamburg, police were pelted with pyrotechnics and construction barriers by demonstrators. In Cologne, a demonstration march was cancelled after pyrotechnics were set off. Follow the live ticker for more.

Live Updates

17:15 – Saturday, 31 October: Demonstrators in Hamburg Set Barricades Alight

At the Hamburg demonstration under the slogan "Against Conscription – Gen Z regelt!", police officers were pelted with pyrotechnics and construction barriers by some demonstrators. The riot police responded with "immediate force," according to a post on the police's WhatsApp channel.

During the course of the demonstration, black-clad and partly masked individuals tore red-and-white plastic construction barriers from their anchors on Steindamm near the main railway station and threw them onto the street. Later, the plastic pieces were also set on fire near the Lohmühlenstraße underground station. Police intervened, dispersed the crowd, and at times used pepper spray against demonstrators. The fire was eventually extinguished with the help of a water cannon.

Several thousand people had gathered for the demonstration in Hamburg. Police initially reported participant numbers in the mid-four-digit range, with concrete figures to be released only after the demonstration concluded. A spokesperson for the organising team estimated around 6,000 to 7,000 demonstrators.

17:07 – Saturday, 31 October: Water Cannon Deployed Against "Violent Demonstrators"

On the sidelines of the Gen Z demo in Cologne, a police water cannon was deployed. A dpa reporter reported that it sprayed water on demonstrators after several firecrackers were set off. According to the Interior Ministry, the water cannon deployment was directed against "violent demonstrators." They had wanted to leave the stationary rally, said a ministry spokesperson. A police spokesperson said there had been attacks with pyrotechnics on officers before the deployment.

Police had already cancelled a demonstration march after pyrotechnics were set off and several participants failed to comply with the ban on masking. According to police, several thousand people took part in the Cologne demonstration — fewer than the 15,000 registered.

16:48 – Saturday, 31 October: Frankfurt Demo Briefly Stopped Due to Pyrotechnics

The demonstration march by the "Gen Z regelt" initiative in Frankfurt was temporarily stopped by police due to pyrotechnics. Shortly afterwards, the protesters resumed their march. Police announced that in areas where pyrotechnics had been set off, the procession would now be accompanied more closely.

The number of demonstrators increased significantly over the course of the afternoon. Initially hundreds, then around 2,500 people were reported. Police last cited 8,000 participants, while organisers claimed 9,000.

16:27 – Saturday, 31 October: Demonstration March in Cologne Cancelled

Due to the masking of some participants and the use of pyrotechnics, police in Cologne cancelled the "Gen Z regelt" demonstration march at short notice. "The demo will continue as a stationary rally," a police spokesperson told the German Press Agency on Saturday afternoon.

This meant the assembly would continue on the banks of the Rhine. Police appealed to participants to exercise restraint. The participant count had so far remained below the 15,000 registered, the spokesperson said. WDR had previously reported on the cancellation of the march.

16:23 – Saturday, 31 October: Dresden Demo Draws Large Crowd

"Gen Z regelt" received strong support at its demonstration in Dresden. While several hundred people initially gathered at Theaterplatz, numbers quickly grew during the subsequent march through the city centre. According to dpa reporter estimates, around 3,000 people of diverse age groups took part.

A letter read out at the start of the demonstration stated: "Across Germany, a generation is taking to the streets. People who are frustrated, who see their future in danger, who no longer want to watch silently. People who are widely ignored by politics, whose concerns and needs are not heard, and whose protests are criminalised. People who have decided to speak out against injustice, against social cuts, and against growing militarisation."

Slogans such as "The rich want war, the youth want a future!" were repeatedly chanted. On placards, participants demanded "Education instead of bombs." One placard read "You've messed it up – Gen Z sorts it out." A group of women carried a hand-painted sign reading "Young + Old – together against education and social cuts + militarisation." A representative of the school strike movement against conscription called for the next strike on 20 November. According to police, the demo remained peaceful two hours after it began.

16:19 – Saturday, 31 October: SPD Calls for National Education Summit Amid Protests

In light of the youth protests, the SPD in the Bundestag is advocating for a national education summit. "The right to a good education and training is a focus of the protests and an area where we have a duty to act quickly now," said Deputy Parliamentary Group Leader Dagmar Schmidt. She said they expected Federal Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) to finally take the initiative. "Germany needs an education summit involving the federal government, states, and municipalities, where responsibilities are not simply shuffled back and forth."

Schmidt said: "Good education must be affordable for everyone." This required reliable funding to support families with limited means and investment in teachers and well-equipped schools. Apprentices and students needed BAföG support sufficient to pay for a shared flat room. Schmidt warned, with regard to the states' responsibility for education, that federalism must not be an excuse for stagnation.

The SPD politician said it was good that young people were exercising their democratic right to demonstrate and bringing important concerns to public attention. "It is a clear signal that we take very seriously."

16:12 – Saturday, 31 October: Former "Last Generation" Spokesperson Hinrichs Delivers Combative Speech

At the rally in front of the Brandenburg Gate, climate activist Carla Hinrichs delivered a combative speech. "They will continue to leave us a funeral pyre of a future. They will continue to set the world on fire," said the former spokesperson of the "Last Generation" group. She left open who exactly "they" referred to.

Hinrichs became known through road blockades in which climate activists glued themselves to the asphalt. She was fined for her involvement and was also charged with forming a criminal organisation.

In her speech, Hinrichs defended her earlier protest actions. "It felt right," she said in retrospect. "Real change has never been easy or comfortable."

16:09 – Saturday, 31 October: Several Thousand at Gen Z Demos in Hanover and Bremen

In Hanover, Bremen, and Göttingen, several thousand people took to the streets for a better future, more climate protection, lower living costs, and against conscription.

Around 1,600 people took part in Bremen, according to police. In the Hanseatic city, the demo coincided with Halloween as well as the Freimarkt fair and a home game for Werder Bremen. In Hanover, police reported about 1,000 participants; in Göttingen, around 800. The demonstrations had so far been quiet and peaceful.

"The rebellion is justified!" read a banner in Bremen.

16:03 – Saturday, 31 October: Pyrotechnics Against Police and Burning Bins in Stuttgart

Contrary to agreements, the youth demonstration in Stuttgart took a different route. "The assembly leadership refused to cooperate," police announced via their WhatsApp channel, among other means. Participants also repeatedly moved off in different directions. The procession was stopped multiple times, according to police. A spokesperson said at least 3,000 people were on the move in Stuttgart.

The police headquarters had already reported that some participants were masked. Pyrotechnics were reportedly used against officers from within the procession. "This will not be tolerated and those responsible will face consequences," police stated. Isolated incidents of property damage such as graffiti and burning rubbish bins were also reported.

16:01 – Saturday, 31 October: Masked Youths Express Disappointment with Berlin Protest

On the sidelines of the rally in front of the Brandenburg Gate, a group of male youths stands wearing black ski masks and hoods pulled deep over their faces. When asked, they expressed disappointment with the demonstration so far. "We expected something different," one of them said. Despite the relatively low number of participants, police were present in large numbers, monitoring the demonstration.

More to follow.

ll/lp/doli/gold with dpa/AFP/Reuters/AP/epd