Luxury Shops on Kurfürstendamm Board Up Windows Before Gen-Z Protest

On Friday, 30 October, workers at several luxury boutiques along Berlin's Kurfürstendamm fitted wooden frames and pressboard panels over windows and doors in anticipation of a "Gen Z regelt" protest planned for Saturday, 31 October 2026. Tiffany & Co. was among the first stores to begin, and by 14:00 the jewellery store was barely recognisable from the street — only the door and logo gave away what lay behind the black-painted wooden boards. A Prada employee told Der Tagesspiegel: "We are preparing for the worst and acting accordingly." A Tiffany & Co. staff member said they feared events could mirror the disruptions seen in France and other European countries.

Nils Busch-Petersen, head of the Berlin-Brandenburg retail association, publicly advised members against boarding up, saying security authorities in both states had found no credible signs of organised looting. A Berlin police spokesperson similarly told Der Tagesspiegel that the force had "rather advised against" such measures and that the Kurfürstendamm remained calm with no indication of looting or vandalism.

The "Gen Z regelt" movement, which explicitly rejects violence, is calling for protests in around 30 cities. In Berlin, two demonstrations are planned: a main rally at the Brandenburg Gate starting at 14:00, where 10,000 people are expected, and a second event at Rosenthaler Platz at 17:30, with 400 to 500 attendees anticipated.