"Gen Z Stands Up": Nationwide Protests Set for 31 October, Berlin Police Deploy Hundreds

The movement 'Gen Z steht auf', organised primarily through Instagram and TikTok and using AI-generated imagery in its promotional posts, called for demonstrations in 21 German cities on 31 October 2026 — coinciding with Halloween — under demands including affordable education, affordable rents, opposition to mandatory military service, and pension reform. In Berlin, the march was set to begin at Brandenburg Gate at 14:00. Some TikTok videos associated with the campaign garnered over one million views, though organisers, led by Akram Selo, stressed the protests must remain peaceful and rejected partisan flags. By 21 October Berlin Police reported no formal demonstration registration had yet been received, but authorities were preparing a large deployment. Police spokesperson Florian Nath said officers would 'look closely' at whether radical groups were exploiting the mobilisation. The Police Union warned of potential infiltration by extremist elements, citing the violent Halloween nights of 2024, which resulted in 132 arrests and incidents of arson. Left party chair Ines Schwerdtner (article published 22 October) cautioned against pre-emptive narratives blaming migrants or left-wing radicals for any violence, describing such framing as a tactic used 'repeatedly to discredit protest movements'.