On the eve of Halloween, the shopkeepers of Paris and Berlin have begun covering their windows, as if the old season of masks were arriving early. Young people in Germany and France, tired of rising prices, crumbling schools and leaders who seem not to hear them, are preparing to take to the streets together, part of a wider murmur moving across Europe. Governments have answered with tens of thousands of officers and bans on face coverings, while everyone waits to learn whether the weekend will pass as a gathering of voices or harden into the disorder that already swept French towns.
Germany and France Brace for Youth Protests as Halloween Weekend Looms
Shopkeepers can't wait for Saturday to be over
Mark
Why does Halloween matter here? It seems like a coincidence.
Mimi
It may be one, but it creates a practical problem. France's Chamber of Commerce president, Alain Di Crescenzo, said masks will be everywhere, and authorities have banned face coverings at the demonstrations.
Luke
Worth noting that's his concern as a business representative. Nothing in the reporting says costumes will be used to hide violence.
Mark
And the scale? 150,000 in Germany sounds large.
Mimi
That's the number who have registered to turn out across about 30 cities, and police are adding thousands of officers.
Luke
Registered is not attended. We don't know how many will actually show up, or whether the figure comes from organisers or authorities.
Mark
What are they protesting?
Mimi
Cost of living, poorly maintained schools, spending cuts, and a sense that politicians ignore the young. French protesters raise similar issues.
Luke
The French precedent is clear: looting and riots two weeks ago. But nothing confirms Germany will follow that path. Boarded windows are precaution, not evidence.
Mark
So what's solid?
Mimi
France's 70,000 officers, the 40-plus closed Paris metro stations, and the interior minister's "very high risk" warning.
Luke
That warning is a forecast, not an outcome. Saturday will tell us more.
O Pulso
- About 150,000 people have signed up to march in roughly thirty German cities, and the glass on luxury storefronts is already boarded.
- France has packed 70,000 police onto its streets and closed more than forty Paris metro stations after three weekends of riots.
- A ban on face masks collides with Halloween, when costumes could make the rule nearly impossible to enforce.
- The interior minister warns of a very high risk of disorder, and business owners say they simply want Saturday to be over.
- Whether the protests stay peaceful or repeat the looting of two weeks ago will decide if this movement stays national or spreads further across Europe.
On the eve of Halloween, the shopkeepers of Paris and Berlin have begun covering their windows, as if the old season of masks were arriving early. Young people in Germany and France, tired of rising prices, crumbling schools and leaders who seem not to hear them, are preparing to take to the streets together, part of a wider murmur moving across Europe. Governments have answered with tens of thousands of officers and bans on face coverings, while everyone waits to learn whether the weekend will pass as a gathering of voices or harden into the disorder that already swept French towns.
On Friday, shopkeepers in Paris and other French cities were boarding up their windows, and in Germany some luxury jewellers and clothing stores did the same. Both countries were bracing for a Saturday of youth-led protests that happens to fall on Halloween.
In Germany, around 150,000 people have registered to demonstrate in about thirty cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne. The movement calls itself "GenZ regelt!", or "Gen Z has got this!", and its anger is aimed at the high cost of living, neglected schools, government spending cuts and politicians who seem to ignore the young.
These complaints echo across Europe, where recent weeks have brought a wave of demonstrations voicing the same worry: prices climb, classrooms decay, and the future looks thin.
France has already lived through this. For three weekends, youth protests have shaken its cities, and two weeks ago they tipped into looting and riots. Last weekend brought more marches and sporadic clashes. Now France is deploying 70,000 police, closing more than forty Paris metro stations and banning face coverings, while the interior minister warns of a "very high risk" of disorder.
Business owners feel the strain. Alain Di Crescenzo of France's Chamber of Commerce said shopkeepers cannot wait for the weekend to end, and noted that Halloween masks complicate the ban.
Everyone is watching to see whether Saturday passes peacefully in Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne and Paris, or whether the unrest returns, and whether the movement keeps spreading.
On Friday, shopkeepers in Paris and other French cities were boarding up their windows. In Germany, some luxury jewellery and clothing stores did the same. Both countries were preparing for a Saturday of youth-led protests that happens to fall on Halloween.
In Germany, roughly 150,000 people have registered to take part in demonstrations across about 30 cities, among them Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne. Police plan to put thousands of additional officers on the streets nationwide. The shops that have covered their glass are guarding against possible looting or violence.
The German protests are organised by a group calling itself "GenZ regelt!", which translates as "Gen Z has got this!". Its complaints are the high cost of living, poorly maintained schools and government spending cuts. More broadly, it objects to politicians making decisions with little regard for the younger generation.
Those grievances echo a wider pattern. In recent weeks a wave of largely youth-led protests has moved across Europe, and many of the demonstrators say much the same thing: prices are rising, educational facilities are declining, and their futures look short on prospects.
France has already lived through some of this. Youth-led protests have convulsed its cities and towns for three consecutive weekends. Two weeks ago, demonstrations over the cost of living and conditions in schools turned into large-scale looting and riots in cities and towns across the country. French authorities have since tried to clamp down on violent protest, yet last weekend brought more demonstrations nationwide, including intermittent clashes with police.
For this weekend, France is deploying 70,000 police officers. More than 40 metro stations in Paris will be closed. Authorities have said face-covering masks will not be allowed at the demonstrations, and the interior minister has warned of a "very high risk" of disorder.
Business owners are uneasy. Alain Di Crescenzo, president of France's Chamber of Commerce, told the broadcaster France Inter that shopkeepers cannot wait for Saturday to be over. Halloween, he said, is not helping, because people will be wearing masks, which complicates the ban authorities have announced.
What to watch is whether Saturday passes peacefully in Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne and Paris, or whether the disorder France saw two weeks ago returns, and whether the movement continues to spread across Europe.
Citações Notáveis
Shopkeepers can't wait for Saturday to be over.— Alain Di Crescenzo, president of France's Chamber of Commerce, on France Inter
There is a "very high risk" of disorder over the weekend.— France's interior minister
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Crime & Justice