"Gen Z Regelt" Rally at Brandenburg Gate Draws Thousands; Riots Erupt After Dark

The movement "Gen Z regelt" held a Berlin rally at the Brandenburg Gate on Saturday, with organisers estimating around 11,000 participants and police counting roughly 5,000 at peak. Young demonstrators called for climate action, better-funded schools, and measures against rising living costs, while opposing the introduction of compulsory military service and the expansion of state surveillance. Speakers said their generation's concerns were not being taken seriously. The rally passed off peacefully, and both organisers and police said they were satisfied with how it went. Spokesperson Veronika Dinter called the turnout "totally encouraging," while police spokesperson Jörn Iffländer confirmed the assembly had proceeded peacefully as expected. Afterwards, several hundred people joined a separate march starting at Rosenthaler Platz, organised under the name "Gen Z hat genug" and linked to left-wing groups. That crowd grew to around 3,500 — far more than initially announced — and turned violent, with eggs, bottles, fireworks, and stones thrown at officers. Police halted the march early in agreement with its organisers. More than 25 officers suffered minor injuries and nearly 60 people were temporarily detained. Investigations were opened for property damage, assault, resistance against officers, and weapons and explosives violations. Police had deployed 1,500 additional officers across the city, in part because of the usual Halloween-related surge in incidents. The main "Gen Z regelt" organisers publicly distanced themselves from all violence. The same night also saw serious unrest in other cities: shops were looted in Frankfurt, and violent scenes erupted in Cologne.