Police and protesters clashed across Germany on Saturday after tens of thousands of young people joined the 'Gen Z' protests Germany-wide. The marches called for more funding for education and demonstrated against the high cost of living.

The demonstrations, organised by a collective called "GenZ regelt!" - which translates as "Gen Z has got this!" - brought rallies to cities nationwide. The collective said some 120,000 people took part in the day of action.

Who marched and why

The rallies demanded more funding for education and protested the high cost of living, according to the organisers.

The movement draws its inspiration from youth campaigns in France and Italy that urge political elites to heed the concerns of younger generations.

Among the grievances the movement lists are:

• •Poorly maintained schools and government spending cuts
• •Decisions taken by politicians with little regard for the young
• •Sharply increased military spending
• •A new voluntary service model aimed at boosting troop numbers, which protesters fear could reintroduce conscription

Where police and protesters clashed

The marches were largely peaceful during the day, but tensions peaked in the evening when some groups refused to disperse, police said.

• •In Frankfurt, officers were pelted with projectiles and responded with water cannon and pepper spray
• •Police also used water cannon in Hamburg and Cologne, saying demonstrators targeted emergency workers with fireworks, stones and bottles
• •In Leipzig, police used pepper spray after protests turned violent
• •An officer in Bonn suffered minor injuries during a confrontation with a group

In Berlin, an evening protest that was not organised by "GenZ regelt!" saw police pelted with eggs and bottles.

Police wrote on X that stones and fireworks continued to be thrown at emergency services and that they were acting against troublemakers. Several officers were injured in the violence and police reportedly made several arrests.

Costumes, signs and complaints

The demonstrations coincided with Halloween, and some protesters dressed in outfits ranging from dinosaurs to Batman.

Signs waved in the crowds read "Time for resistance" and "Merz must go", in reference to conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Voices from the marches

Among those on the streets was Milla, a 20-year-old student in Berlin, who said she wanted to stand with protest movements elsewhere in Europe.

She added: "I believe that today here is the first step."

Marius, a 23-year-old care worker, said politicians need to know that "the situation is slowly reaching boiling point".

The "GenZ regelt!" movement has explicitly rejected violence, saying extremist groups, anti-constitutional symbols, racism and hate speech have no place with it, no matter from which side.

Andreas Rosskopf, an official from the police union, told the Rheinische Post that police had "intervened very decisively and also forcefully" when violence broke out. He noted that major property damage had so far been avoided, though some jewellery and luxury shops boarded up their windows against looters.

Police said the main protests themselves had been "very peaceful".