Berlin news · 31 October 2026
Ku'damm Stores Board Up Shopfronts Ahead of Gen Z Protest in Berlin
Shops along Berlin's Kurfürstendamm, including Prada and Tiffany & Co., began boarding up their windows with wooden frames and plywood panels on Friday, fearing damage during Saturday's Gen Z protest, even as retail leaders and police urged calm.
Berlin Police Find No Evidence of Coordinated Violence or Looting for Protest Day
Berlin's security authorities said on 29 October they had found no intelligence pointing to organised looting or targeted calls for violence, though police were bracing for a large-scale operation combining "Gen Z regelt" protests with Halloween on 31 October.
Social Media Mocks Looting Fears: 'Does Anyone Need Anything from Louis Vuitton?'
As Berlin shops boarded up their windows ahead of the 31 October protests, users on X responded with ironic "orders" for designer goods, poking fun at fears that the demonstrations would descend into looting.
Die Linke Votes on Entering Berlin Coalition Talks
Berlin's Left party (Die Linke) held a party congress in Lichtenberg on Saturday to decide whether to begin formal coalition negotiations with the Greens and SPD, the last of the three parties to hold such a vote.
Alexander Tower to Resume Construction After Four-Year Russian-Sanctions Halt
Work on the 150-metre, 40-storey Alexander Tower near Alexanderplatz restarted on Friday, 30 October, after a four-year freeze caused by sanctions on its Russian majority investor, with Luxembourg-based Equora Capital now holding 49% of the project.
BVG Cuts M10 Tram: Prenzlauer Berg Loses Its Last Direct Link to the City Centre
Starting Monday 2 November, Berlin's transport operator BVG is suspending the M10 tram for seven weeks, leaving Prenzlauer Berg without any direct tram connection to Mitte after the M1 and line 12 were already out of service, forcing residents onto slow bus replacements.
Dense Fog and Below-Zero Temperatures Forecast to Make Halloween Night Treacherous
The German Weather Service (DWD) warned of fog with visibility below 150 metres across wide parts of Germany overnight on 31 October, with temperatures falling to minus 2 °C in alpine and some highland areas, creating hazardous driving conditions on Halloween night.
Berlin's Spookiest Halloween Houses: Demons, Mazes and Horror Labyrinths
The Tagesspiegel showcased the city's most elaborately decorated Halloween homes on 30 October, from a horror labyrinth in Rudow with a five-star Google Maps rating to a Spandau family running an annual theme maze, this year titled 'Zwischenwelt'.
Berlin-Based Athlete Among 69 Dead in Spanish High-Speed Train Crash
Julieta Gallego, a 24-year-old Spanish long jumper who competed for LAC Berlin, was among 69 people killed when two high-speed trains collided near Urda, about 130 km south of Madrid.
Berlin SPD Executive Votes for Binding Member Referendum on Coalition Agreement
The Berlin SPD's executive board decided on 30 October to hold a binding member vote on any coalition agreement reached with Die Linke and the Greens, with coalition negotiations expected to begin Monday if Die Linke approves talks at its Saturday party congress.
Activists Protest Outside Die Linke Congress Over Abandoned Palestine Pledges
Protesters from the Internationalist Alliance Berlin gathered outside the Die Linke special congress at the Dong-Xuan-Center on 31 October, accusing party leadership of betraying their election promises on Palestinian solidarity to secure a coalition deal.
Pyrotechnics and Home-Made Explosives Seized in Neukölln Ahead of Halloween
Berlin police and criminal investigators raided a flat in Neukölln on 30 October and seized approximately six kilograms of pyrotechnic devices, including home-made explosives, a knuckleduster and a knife, temporarily detaining a 24-year-old man.
Union Berlin Face Köln Again After 0–5 Cup Humiliation
Union Berlin meet 1. FC Köln again on Sunday at 15:30, with trainer Mauro Lustrinelli demanding a sharp response after his side's shocking 0–5 cup defeat to the same opponents on Tuesday.
Baumgart Offers Köln Coach 'Golden Advice' Ahead of Union Berlin Reunion
Former Union Berlin coach Steffen Baumgart telephoned 1. FC Köln trainer René Wagner before Sunday's Bundesliga match at the Alte Försterei, offering tips for the reunion with his old club and praising Wagner as a 'thoroughbred coach'.