ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Berlin on Saturday for a youth-led protest against rising living costs, underfunded schools and Germany's increasing military spending, as frustration grows among young people over their economic prospects.
The demonstration, led by members of Generation Z, brought together students and other young Germans demanding affordable housing, greater investment in education and a stronger voice in decisions affecting their future.
"The most important thing is providing housing at an affordable price. Also, our schools are completely underfunded and do not receive the necessary money," Lina, a student participating in the demonstration, told Rudaw’s Alla Shally.
"I am still a student myself and am currently preparing for my Abitur [final secondary qualification] exams. We clearly feel that the classrooms are very overcrowded. For many years, investment in education and training have not been sufficient. This cannot continue this way. We can no longer go on like this," she added.
Another demonstrator, Tom, criticized Germany's growing military expenditure and efforts to encourage young people to join the armed forces.
"What I want to say is that in Germany right now the process of militarization is taking place rapidly; meaning a lot of money is being provided for the military sector and they also want to train young people to use weapons once again," he said.
"They want to prepare young people for a possible future war, so they can die for capitalist interests. That is why I am here, because I think this is not right and it should not be this way," he added.
The Berlin demonstration was part of nationwide protests organized by the youth movement Gen Z Regelt, or "Gen Z takes charge," which called for demonstrations in 34 German cities, including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne.
Around 5,000 people attended the Berlin rally near the Brandenburg Gate, according to police, while organizers put the turnout at approximately 11,000.
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