Demonstrations sweeping Europe are inspiring young Germans frustrated by rising costs of living amid military spending and conscription.
Hawzah News Agency- Thousands of people have rallied in Berlin and more than 30 other German cities as the nation becomes the latest European country to be hit by a wave of student protests sweeping the continent.
at a rally in the western city of Cologne, scuffles broke out between protesters and police, who moved in to contain a march there.
The protest organisers had outlined six key issues that took them to the streets on Saturday, including the rising cost of living, education cuts and military conscription.
Students told Al Jazeera that they are both angry and frustrated by ongoing funding cuts, even as the government invests heavily in the military.
Veronika Dinter travelled to Berlin on Friday night from Hannover to participate in the protest.
The 23-year-old political science student said that due to high living costs, she had to take on a part-time job to fund her studies.
“I wanted to start studying to develop critical thinking and learn something new, but I didn’t realise how much it would cost to do so. I think this is something a lot of people in my generation are experiencing right now,” she said.
“Funding for education and social services are being cut, while the cost of living keeps rising. Universities are struggling, institutes are closing, teachers are losing their jobs and education facilities are literally falling apart.
“This crisis is the political failure of our government. And instead of solving it, Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his rich friends are funding the military with billions of euros.”
This is a sentiment that Emma Heymann, a 24-year-old student living in Berlin, resonated with.
“Our generation feels very angry at the government because they are making these huge cuts that are affecting our quality of life here. And at the same time, they are spending billions on the military and spending money to fund the genocide in Gaza,” she said.
The Berlin demonstration lasted a few hours, before another protest organised by a different alliance began at around 5:30pm (16:30 GMT) in a different part of the German capital.
Source: AL JAZEERA
