Highlights:
- More than 10,000 people have registered for planned protests in 21 German cities on 31 October
- Young demonstrators across Europe are protesting high living costs, housing shortages, education problems and potential military conscription
- German authorities fear extremist groups could exploit student demonstrations to trigger violence
- EU youth unemployment stood at 15.4% in August, while nearly a quarter of people aged 15–29 faced poverty or social exclusion in 2025
Youth-led protests that began in France have spread across Europe, reaching Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and other countries, with Germany preparing for coordinated demonstrations in 21 cities on Halloween, 31 October.
Rising living costs, housing insecurity, education problems and concerns over the possible introduction of compulsory military service have fuelled the movement, with young people increasingly using social media to organise protests across national borders, South Korea-based Chosun Biz reported.
On 21 October, the youth group Gen Z stands up (Gen Z steht auf) announced plans for simultaneous rallies in major German cities, including Berlin and Cologne, according to reports by German public broadcaster ARD and newspaper Tagespiegel.
The German demonstrations are expected to build on grievances raised by French students, while adding opposition to military conscription.
Germany suspended conscription in 2011. However, a new Military Service Act introduced in January this year requires all 18-year-old men to complete a survey on their willingness to serve.
From July 2027, men born in 2008 or later will be required to undergo a draft medical examination. Military service itself remains voluntary, but compulsory service could be reinstated through a Bundestag vote if volunteer numbers prove insufficient.
Social media drives mobilisation
Videos promoting the German protests have spread rapidly on TikTok and Instagram, with some attracting more than one million views within days, Tagespiegel reported on 21 October.
One widely viewed video cited conscription, high fuel prices, difficulties finding housing and jobs, and pension issues, declaring, "The French showed us first, so we'll follow."
While most posts call for peaceful demonstrations, some reportedly encourage violence and use artificial intelligence-generated images to express hopes of unrest similar to that seen in France.
More than 10,000 people had registered on the official website of Gen Z stands up to participate in the planned protests as of 21 October.
In Cologne, a major university city, 1,088 people had expressed interest in joining the demonstrations, while 1,059 had registered in the university city of Bielefeld.
A separate rally was also planned in Düsseldorf, the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, under the banner "Oppose social welfare cuts and solidarity with France".
German authorities on alert
German authorities are preparing for possible unrest, concerned that far-left groups and other troublemakers could infiltrate student protests and provoke violence.
Akram Zello, leader of Gen Z stands up and an organiser of the demonstrations, said the group opposed violence.
"We clearly distance ourselves from violence in any form," he told German media.
However, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution have warned of the risk that extremist groups could exploit legitimate protests.
On 16 October, around 50 people with no connection to a school reportedly entered a gymnasium in Berlin's Friedrichshain district, clashed with police and injured a resident.
Berlin police spokesperson Florian Nath said there were attempts to exploit student protests for other purposes.
"We will not tolerate this and will closely watch whether it is a legitimate student protest or an attempt to use it for private gain," he said.
The timing of the planned rallies has added to security concerns. Berlin has experienced disturbances on Halloween nights, when groups of teenagers have set off fireworks and caused damage.
According to Euronews, 132 people were arrested in Berlin on Halloween in 2024 after teenagers set barricades on fire and fired fireworks at police.
Stefan Weh, head of the Berlin branch of the German Police Union, said authorities were preparing for different scenarios.
He warned that radical groups could hijack democratic protests, exploit freedom of assembly and attempt to promote a narrative of hostility between police and citizens.
From school grievances to a broader movement
The protests in France began about a month ago, when high school students demonstrated against teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and ageing school facilities.
The movement subsequently expanded as education grievances converged with a cost-of-living crisis driven by high inflation and rising energy prices.
On 17 October, as many as 266,000 people participated in demonstrations across France in a single day, according to the report.
The protests attracted not only students but also members of the Yellow Vest movement, which led demonstrations against a fuel tax increase in 2018, as well as labour unions, farmers, transport workers and public-sector employees.
As demonstrations intensified, looting and arson were reported in major cities, including Paris. French authorities subsequently deployed the military and imposed a night-time curfew on 19 October, the report said.
The unrest spread to Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Albania and Greece.
In Rome, around 100,000 people gathered on 17 October for a cost-of-living and education protest organised by the Italian General Confederation of Labour, the country's largest union.
Protesters later clashed with police in Milan, Turin and Bologna, chanting slogans including "Act like France" and "Spend money on schools, not war". At least 141 police officers were injured and 160 people, including minors, were arrested, according to the report.
In Belgium, students in the French-speaking Wallonia region and Brussels demonstrated in solidarity with their French counterparts. In Lisbon and Porto, Portugal, young protesters pitched dozens of tents in public squares to protest soaring housing costs and began sit-ins.
Dutch students have also raised concerns about military spending alongside the burden of education loans.
Evi Kras, chairperson of the National Student Union of the Netherlands, told Spanish newspaper El País that some students faced repaying loans into their 40s. She said a major student strike was being planned for 20 November.
Italian unions have also announced a general strike for the same day, while a large solidarity action is scheduled for 11 November in Spain and Portugal.
Economic pressures and political distrust
Economic insecurity remains a central concern for young Europeans.
According to EU statistics cited by El País, the unemployment rate among people under 25 stood at 15.4% in August, 2.5 times the overall rate of 6.1%.
In 2025, 24.2% of Europeans aged 15–29 were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 20.9% of the overall population.
Oxford University political scientist Tim Blandaes coined the term "gerontonomics" to describe a political environment in which the growing share of older people encourages governments to prioritise pension spending over investment in future generations.
The proportion of Europe's elderly population rose from 17% in 2005 to 22% in 2025, according to the figures cited in the report.
Plans to expand military capabilities amid Europe's security concerns have further fuelled anxiety over possible conscription.
"None of us want to go to a battlefield and fight or be drafted for mandatory military service," Kras told Reuters.
Distrust of established political parties is also contributing to political polarisation. In France, ahead of the April 2027 presidential election, 77% of young voters supported either the far-right National Rally or the radical-left France Unbowed, according to the report.
The share of voters under 30 who said politicians did not represent them stood at 74% in France, 69% in Italy and 59% in Spain.
The European Students' Union recorded 54 student protests across 22 countries between March and May this year, up from 31 protests across 13 countries in the previous count.
"Young people are not powerless, nor are they indifferent to politics," said Renaïque Dumont, head of the Federation of Francophone Students. "We are angry and we are not sitting still doing nothing."