"Gen Z Takes Charge" — Ahead of the Youth Protests in Saxony's Cities

October 31 is set to become a day of youth protest across Germany. In Leipzig, Dresden, and Chemnitz as well, demonstrations are being called for on Saturday starting at 2:00 p.m. under the slogan “Gen Z Takes Charge.” In light of recent riots, such as those in France, various groups have issued warnings against violence in advance. Police will be on duty. Protests have been announced in more than 30 cities across Germany.

What are the demonstrations about?

The local organizing groups in Leipzig, Dresden, and Chemnitz are largely highlighting the same issues: It’s “time for resistance” against failing schools, mandatory military service, soaring prices, social cuts, and a shift to the right, according to the protest calls being shared on social media.

In Leipzig, a stance on the Middle East conflict is also being taken. “As Gen Z, we also say FREE PALESTINE!” posted the “genzregelt-leipzig” account on Instagram.

Who is organizing the demonstrations?

The group “Gen Z regelt” is calling for the protests. The specific individuals behind it are not publicly known. The group states on its website that it is primarily responsible for organizing the demonstrations in Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Munich. In the other locations, including major cities in Saxony, other organizational structures have joined the “Gen Z regelt” initiative.

A loose structure is typical for an emerging protest movement, said Jannis Julien Grimm from the Center for Interdisciplinary Peace and Conflict Research at Freie Universität Berlin. “Especially in the early stages of mobilization, protests often arise from informal networks, personal contacts, and digital communication structures.””

How large will the protests be?

In Dresden, according to the organizers’ attendance forecast, around 500 people are expected; in Leipzig, the number has been raised from an initial 100 to 2,500. In Chemnitz, according to city officials, 100 people have registered.

However, it is difficult to estimate how many people will ultimately take to the streets. On the “Gen Z regelt” website, around 4,500 people in Dresden have announced their intention to attend. In Leipzig, the figure was around 5,000 people. In Chemnitz, around 100 people had indicated they would participate.

Who officially supports the protests?

Politically, the youth protests have so far been supported in particular by the Left Party and the Greens. An open letter to Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) written by “Gen Z regelt” was signed by, among others, Left Party leader Heidi Reichinnek and Green Party Member of the Bundestag Ricarda Lang. Addressed to the chancellor, the letter states, among other things: “Your austerity policies are robbing us of all hope.”

The GEW education union in Saxony has thrown its support behind young people’s demand for quality education. “Young people are demanding what teachers have been criticizing for years,” the union stated. Reports that violent groups are co-opting the protests must be taken seriously. However, blanket warnings only distract from the legitimate concerns.

What is “Gen Z Regelt”’s stance on violence?

On its nationwide website, the “Gen Z Regelt” initiative writes: “Our protest is peaceful, without exception. Violence against people or property contradicts everything we stand for. Only through peaceful means can we achieve something together.” At the same time, the description of the Leipzig Instagram account states: “Fight like the youth in France!”

The fact that several state interior ministers warned against violence in advance, or that the federal chairman of the Police Union (GdP), Jochen Kopelke, spoke in *Bild* of “young rioting migrants” in reference to people who wanted to exploit the official protests for their own purposes—these statements have been sharply criticized in numerous online comments related to the protests.

How are the security authorities preparing?

The police will be present at the protests. They are not disclosing in advance how many officers will be on duty. The largest deployment is expected to take place in Leipzig. Because the situation is dynamic, operational planning will be adapted to meet the needs, officials said. At the same time, the Leipzig police emphasized that there is currently no information available that would allow for a comparison with the situation in France.

The Saxon Office for the Protection of the Constitution made similar remarks in response to an inquiry: At present, there is no indication that Saxony could see violent riots comparable to those in France. The group “Gen Z regelt” is not an extremist initiative and is therefore not under observation by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

Nevertheless, the State Office is observing “a dynamic mobilization on social media, including among dogmatic left-wing extremists and, specifically in Leipzig, on the part of the group ‘Young Struggle Leipzig,’ which is linked to foreign-based extremism.” Extremists could therefore exploit the “Gen Z regelt” themes—such as social justice, opposition to mandatory military service, and anti-militarism—for their own purposes and use them to appeal specifically to high school and college students.