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World

Tens of thousands of German students march against conscription plans

More than 40,000 students took to the streets of Berlin, with some shredding conscription surveys, in a protest against Germany's military service plans, Al Jazeera reported.

By Sarah Whitfield · · 1 min read

Photo: Capital Post

More than 40,000 students have taken to the streets of Berlin in protest against Germany’s military service plans, with some demonstrators shredding conscription surveys in a symbolic rejection of the system.

The marches, held on Friday, were organised under the banner “Schulstreik gegen Wehrpflicht” — the school strike against conscription. Organisers said around 45,000 students joined coordinated demonstrations in roughly 100 cities and towns across Germany, a figure reported by the Daily Telegraph NZ. Police did not provide a nationwide figure, but reported around 2,400 protesters in Berlin, with hundreds more rallying in Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Munich and Hamburg.

The trigger is Germany’s new military service law, which took effect in January 2026. It does not restore general conscription, which has been suspended since 2011, but requires every 18-year-old man to complete a mandatory questionnaire on his willingness and suitability to serve; participation is voluntary for women. If voluntary recruitment fails to hit its targets, the Bundestag can vote to bring back compulsory service outright.

Protesters argue the system is conscription with a longer fuse and oppose increased military spending while schools and social services face funding pressures. Some put letters from the German military into paper shredders, and footage showed marchers carrying banners reading “We won’t fight in your wars” and “Education instead of bombs”.

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