Youth Protests Spread to the Streets of Germany

Featured image: Aerial shot of the demonstrations in Cologne, Germany. Source: Yahoo

As part of the wave of youth protests spreading across Europe, the German youth has taken to the streets against the rising cost of living and in solidarity with the struggles of France and the ongoing struggles throughout Europe. Resisting police repression, clashes erupted between the protesters and the police in several cities, with construction of burning barricades and thrown projectiles used in defense against the police attacks with water cannons, batons and pepper spray.

According to the“Gen Z Takes Care of It” initiative, over 120,000 demonstrators took to the streets this past Saturday, October 31, in 34 cities. This includes reports of around 15,000 in Cologne, around 10,000 in Frankfurt, Berlin and Hamburg, as well as around 3,000 in Bremen – just to mention a few.

In Frankfurt, after the march during daytime, clashes broke out with police in the shopping street Die Zeil, where shop windows were smashed, among them a special firearms store where several firearms were seized. The protesters resisted police attacks by throwing petrol bombs, bottles, fireworks and rocks. Several police were injured in the clashes.

In Hamburg, clashes erupted between protesters and police in the proletarian districts of Billstedt, Dulsberg and Harburg, where cars and garbage containers were lit on fire, and shop windows were smashed. Dem Volke Dienen reports that around 120 arrests were made that evening, and that the police were present with drones. AIL flags were also seen during the protests.

In Berlin, after the daytime mobilizations at Brandenburger Tor, clashes broke out between the protesters and the police – where resisting protesters used rocks and fireworks against the police attacks. 27 police officers were injured in the clashes, and around 60 protesters were arrested.

There had previously already been some blockades of schools, like in the Andreas Gymnasium in Friedrichshain on October 16.

In Cologne, clashes also broke out near the central train station, where 23 police officers were injured. At one point the police formed a kettle maneuver, where hundreds of protesters were trapped for 9 hours. According to reports, the ID’s of around 990 people were checked during the demonstration.

In Bremen, a demonstration was carried out in the city center, where after a march clashes broke out between the resisting protesters and the police. One demonstrator was kidnapped to a parking garage by the police, and 7 demonstrators were arrested in total. Flags of the International Anti-Imperialist League (AIL) could be seen during the demonstration.