Students rallied in some 100 cities and towns across the country against Berlin\u2019s military buildup<\/p>\n
Tens of thousands of students took to the streets across Germany on Friday to protest the government\u2019s military service reform amid Berlin\u2019s push to expand the armed forces, citing the alleged threat from Russia.
\nOrganizers of the \u201cSchool Strike Against Conscription\u201d said around 45,000 students joined demonstrations in some 100 cities and towns on Friday. Police did not provide a nationwide figure, but reported around 2,400 protesters in Berlin, while hundreds more rallied in Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Munich, and Hamburg.
\nFootage from the video agency Ruptly showed crowds marching through Hamburg carrying banners reading \u201cWe won\u2019t fight in your wars,\u201d\u00a0\u201cEducation instead of bombs,\u201d\u00a0\u201cNot our war\u201d and \u201cRussia is not our enemy.\u201d
\nSome protesters also targeted Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with banners reading \u201cNo Merz, no war, no billionaires!\u201d<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udd25\ud83e\ude96 Schulstreik gegen Wehrpflicht Zahlreiche Sch\u00fcler sind am Freitag erneut auf die Stra\u00dfe gegangen, um gegen eine m\u00f6gliche Wehrpflicht zu demonstrieren. Wie die Initiative \u201eSchulstreik gegen Wehrpflicht\u201c mitteilte, gab es bundesweit etwa 100 Demonstrationen. Pressesprecher\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/xMTDFU8qBM\u2014 Freistil (@Freistil) September 25, 2026 <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to see my child sent off to war by politicians like the ones we currently have in Germany,\u201d one protester told Ruptly. She said she was \u201cmore afraid of [European Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen, Merz\u2026 than of any Russian president.\u201d<\/p>\n
A student described the reform as a \u201cform of war preparation,\u201d arguing that young people could eventually be forced \u201cto shoot at young people\u2026 for the interests that aren\u2019t ours\u2026 but the interests of profit-hungry arms corporations and politicians.\u201d
\nGermany\u2019s Military Service Modernization Act, which took effect in January, requires 18-year-old men to complete a questionnaire on their willingness and suitability for military service. Mandatory medical examinations for men born in 2008 or later are due to begin in July 2027. Service remains voluntary, but parliament can activate compulsory military service if recruitment targets are not met or the security situation deteriorates.<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddea In #Berlin skandieren die Demonstranten \u201eMerz, leck Eier!\u201c \ud83d\udd08\ud83d\udca5Die Sch\u00fcler protestieren gegen die Wehrpflicht… pic.twitter.com\/LFJESiCR8Q\u2014 \u300c\u2726 Finest \u2726\u300d (@fines7x) September 25, 2026 <\/p>\n
The government aims to expand the Bundeswehr to more than 260,000 active troops and 200,000 reservists by 2035, citing Germany\u2019s NATO commitments and what it describes as a worsening security environment in Europe.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Germany could bring back conscription next year \u2013 senior MP<\/p>\n
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has previously warned that Germany must be prepared for a potential conflict with Russia. Moscow has repeatedly rejected claims that it intends to attack NATO countries, describing them as \u201cnonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Students rallied in some 100 cities and towns across the country against Berlin\u2019s military buildup Tens of thousands of students took to the streets across Germany on Friday to protest…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38898,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t