Berlin Students Blockade Two Schools in Protest Against Education Cuts and Military Spending

Published October 16, 2026, taz reported that student groups blockaded the entrances to two Berlin schools — Andreas-Gymnasium in Friedrichshain and Leibniz-Gymnasium in Bergmannkiez, Kreuzberg — on the morning of October 16, preventing students and teachers from entering. The protest was directed against federal budget decisions that allocated €109.7 billion to military spending while cutting education funding to €15.48 billion. Around 100–200 students participated; police deployed approximately 130 officers. The blockades lasted roughly four hours before organisers agreed to convert them into permitted demonstrations in exchange for a peaceful dissolution. Governing Mayor Kai Wegner criticised the action, saying those who 'deliberately seek police confrontation cross a clear line,' while acknowledging democratic protest rights. Students cited international solidarity with French youth movements and concerns about military conscription. Some students with migration backgrounds emphasised that their families had come to Germany for better educational opportunities they now felt were under threat.