Young people gathered at Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz on Thursday and marched through the city to oppose government plans to reintroduce military service. Police estimated about 3,000 participants in Berlin, while organizers said 6,000 took part there and claimed some 50,000 people joined demonstrations in more than 130 towns and cities across Germany.
“I don’t think I’ll be dying for my friends, relatives or acquaintances, in the worst-case scenario,” said 17-year-old Shmuel Schatz, spokesperson for the School Strike Committee. “Rather, in the end, only for those who are put into the trenches for the interests of large corporations like Rheinmetall, ThyssenKrupp, and others, so they can line their pockets at the expense of war.”
The protests respond to a military service law introduced in December 2025. Under the new rules, all 18‑year‑olds will receive questionnaires this year asking about their motivation and suitability for the armed forces and informing them about volunteering for the Bundeswehr. Responding will be mandatory for men.
“People who go there voluntarily can fight for this, even if that does have its problems. But people should not be forced. Coercion is never a solution,” said 19‑year‑old Kiran Schürmann, another spokesperson for the Berlin demonstrators.
The government says it aims to expand the armed forces along a “growth path” to about 260,000 active soldiers from roughly 180,000 now, plus some 200,000 reservists. If volunteer recruitment falls short of targets, officials have said full conscription could be reintroduced. Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Henning Otte (CDU) warned in his military report that he had “doubts about the prospects of success of the voluntary principle.”
Interest in conscientious objection has grown. The German constitution guarantees the right to refuse military service on grounds of conscience, and counseling services are available. The Federal Office for Family Affairs and Civil Society (BAFzA) reported 3,867 applications for conscientious objection in 2025 — a 72% increase from the prior year.
Germany had compulsory national service for decades, with a civilian alternative, until it was suspended in 2011. Conscription can be reinstated if the Bundestag declares a state of tension or a state of national defense; that would require a two‑thirds majority in the lower house. In a state of national defense, men aged 18 to 60 could theoretically be drafted.
Thursday’s nationwide action was the second “school strike” against the policy. In December 2025, about 55,000 people protested in 90 cities across the country.
Edited by: Rina Goldenberg
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