In anticipation of protests organized by “Gen Z” for Saturday, numerous shops and establishments in the capital have taken preemptive safety measures. On Friday, for instance, plywood boards were affixed to the storefront windows, particularly at luxury retail stores on Kudamm. Similarly, in the government district, business tenants were informed that exterior shutters at certain buildings would be dropped on the weekend to protect against flying debris.
While the federal government declined to provide specific details regarding special security precautions on Friday, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry noted that risk assessments are being continuously conducted. The Deputy Government Spokesperson, Sebastian Hille, kept open the question of the Chancellor’s whereabouts on Saturday and whether the protests would play any role in his schedule, when questioned by the dts news agency on Friday.
The initiative “Gen Z regelt” (Gen Z fixes it) has called for demonstrations starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, not just in Berlin but in over 30 other cities. The demands put forward include measures against failing schools, rising cost of living, “unfair distribution of burdens,” and the climate crisis. The protest calls also explicitly reject mandatory military service and the continuously expanding “surveillance apparatus.”
Similar calls for protest have originated in France, Italy, and other countries, leading to some intense clashes in recent weeks. The official organizers of the demonstrations in Germany insist that the protests must remain peaceful. However, a federal interior ministry spokesperson had previously stated on Wednesday that “parts of the left-wing extremist scene and isolated groups from foreign-related extremism” would be adopting the protest calls and participating in the mobilization.
