45,000 students take to the streets in protest in Germany
Mass protests against the possible introduction of compulsory military service have taken place in Germany.
According to the organizers, around 45,000 school and university students took part in demonstrations held in roughly 100 cities across the country.
The rallies were organized as part of the "School Strike Against Conscription" initiative. Participants spoke out against the possible return of compulsory military service, as well as against the expansion of national service and the country's growing militarization.
The protests took place in a number of major German cities. In Berlin's Wedding district, about 2,400 people turned out for the rally, according to police. In Munich, the protest drew around 700 participants, in Nuremberg about 400, in Stuttgart 200, and in Frankfurt am Main 180 people. In Hamburg, several hundred demonstrators gathered near the main railway station.
The organizers stated that they oppose forcing young people into military service and the pursuit of policies that they associate with the further militarization of Germany. One of the main slogans of the rally was a call to reject both military and civilian conscription and to prevent war.
As Deutsche Welle notes, the protests were also linked to the Bundeswehr's "Red Storm Charlie" military exercises taking place in Hamburg from September 24 to 26.
A new law on military service has been in force in Germany since January 2026. It provides for a mandatory medical examination and the completion of a corresponding questionnaire for men born in 2008 and later. At the same time, the initial recruitment is carried out on a voluntary basis.
Should the envisaged mechanism fail to provide the required number of service members, a decision to move to compulsory military service may be made by the Bundestag.
