Germany and France are preparing for possible protests during the Halloween weekend, with police planning large deployments and some businesses boarding up their windows. The preparations come amid a wave of largely youth-led demonstrations across Europe in recent weeks, driven by concerns about rising prices, deteriorating educational facilities and limited prospects for the future.
In Germany, approximately 150,000 people have registered to take part in Saturday protests across about 30 cities, among them Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne. Thousands of additional police officers are set to be deployed nationwide. Some luxury jewellery retailers and clothing shops have covered their windows with boards as a precaution against possible looting or violence.
The German demonstrations are being led by a group called “GenZ regelt!”, whose name translates as “Gen Z has got this!”. Its grievances include the high cost of living, schools in poor condition and cuts in government spending. More broadly, the movement objects to political decisions that it sees as being made with little consideration for younger people.
Similar concerns have fuelled youth-led protests in French cities and towns over three successive weekends. France is now preparing for the possibility of further demonstrations and violence. In Paris and other cities, shops and businesses were boarding up their windows on Friday ahead of the weekend.
French police are deploying 70,000 officers across the country, while more than 40 Paris metro stations will close. Authorities have also announced that masks covering the face will be prohibited at demonstrations. The interior minister has warned that the risk of disorder over the weekend is very high.
The preparations follow widespread unrest in France two weeks ago, when protests over living costs and school conditions developed into large-scale looting and riots in cities and towns. Authorities have since tried to curb violent protests, but demonstrations continued across the country last weekend, with occasional clashes between protesters and police.
Alain Di Crescenzo, president of France’s Chamber of Commerce, described concern among businesses ahead of another Saturday of potential unrest. Speaking to broadcaster France Inter, he said: “Shopkeepers can’t wait for Saturday to be over.”
Di Crescenzo also pointed to the overlap between the weekend’s possible demonstrations and Halloween celebrations. Halloween “is not helping matters”, he told France Inter, “because we’re going to have people wearing masks”.
