The Federal Students Conference generally supports the calls for protests by the “Gen Z regelt das” initiative, provided that the demonstrations remain peaceful and democratic. A spokesperson for the organization told the “Rheinische Post” that the announced protests for October 31st are broadly viewed as positive.
Isabelle Seltenreich, the press coordinator for the Conference, stated that students have the right, and in their opinion, every reason to take to the streets to campaign for better education and improved conditions in their schools.
The Conference shares many of the demands currently surfacing from protests in countries like France and Italy. These key demands include better school infrastructure and equipment, sufficient teaching staff, smaller class sizes, improved learning environments, and an educational system that guarantees equal opportunities for all young people, regardless of their social background. Additionally, the Federal Students Conference insists that the issues of mental health protection and the strain caused by long school days must be addressed more seriously.
While the Federal Students Conference does not anticipate that the violence seen in the protests in France would transfer automatically to Germany, the organization warned that all parties must be aware that protests could be exploited or instrumentalized by various political groups.
