Up to 10,000 Expected in Berlin on Halloween as Gen Z Regelt Movement Calls for Action

The initiative Gen Z regelt has called for protests on 31 October 2026 across 21 German cities, with Berlin police confirming that 10,000 participants have already been registered. Demonstrators plan to march from the Brandenburg Gate through the city centre in the afternoon. Mobilisation is running largely via Telegram, inspired by recent youth protests in France, Belgium and Italy that turned violent, involving looting, burning vehicles and clashes with police. Organisers stress non-violence and say they will actively de-escalate tensions during the march. However, Telegram channels associated with the protests contain calls for stone-throwing and disruption, and a preparatory assembly held at Berlin's Free University under the banner "Unis gegen Krieg" excluded journalists. Federal and state security authorities are coordinating through joint counter-extremism centres, and the constitutional protection office has stepped up monitoring of relevant websites and social-media channels. Stephan Weh, the Berlin chair of the police union GdP, warned that radical forces must not be allowed to hijack legitimate democratic protest as happened in France. Police also face overlapping challenges on the day: Halloween celebrations, a registered Palestinian protest and a Hells Angels motorcycle demonstration are all scheduled for the same date.