Gen Z protests turn violent in Germany

{"text":[[{"start":8.16,"text":"Youth protests in Germany turned violent late on Saturday evening as thousands took to the streets to object to the high cost of living, public spending cuts and military conscription, in an echo of the unrest that swept France two weeks ago."}],[{"start":22.72,"text":"About 100,000 people joined protests in Berlin and some 30 other cities, according to the events’ organisers."}],[{"start":30.2,"text":"Police in Berlin said protesters blocked trams, threw fireworks and bottles towards officers and spray-painted buildings; 56 people were arrested."}],[{"start":40.04,"text":"Protests in Frankfurt and Hamburg were stopped by the police after similar violence broke out. Rioters looted shops and attacked police officers, according to local reports."}],[{"start":50.52,"text":"Videos on social media showed masked people breaking into stores in Germany’s finance centre Frankfurt am Main. Boris Rhein, premier of the state of Hesse, said he was “shocked by the acts of extreme violence . . . incidents that will not go without consequences”."}],[{"start":66.84,"text":"Speaking during at a demonstration in front of Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Saturday evening, Lina Friedrich, a spokesperson for one of the organising groups called Gen Z regelt (Gen Z sorts it out), said: “We are against violence and advocate for peaceful protests.”"}],[{"start":82.48,"text":"Sophie S, a 23-year-old student at the Brandenburg Gate protest, said: “If no one is listening to us, I don’t understand why protests should not also turn violent.”"}],[{"start":92.2,"text":"The protesters called for more education funding, a demand they have in common with France’s high school protests."}],[{"start":98.36,"text":"They also oppose plans to revive Germany’s longstanding military conscription policy. Berlin has started to increase the number of military medical screenings ahead of a nationwide rollout in July 2027 targeting young men born in 2008 or later."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":113.36,"text":"Nikolaus M, 43, said he was concerned about developments in the country: “Young people are less [well] paid, are more stressed and are now being pushed to go to war.”"}],[{"start":123.48,"text":"German interior minister Alexander Dobrindt had warned ahead of the protests that law enforcement was prepared to counter whatever “violent extremists are ready to bring to the streets”."}],[{"start":132.92,"text":"In France, 320,000 people turned out to protest on Saturday according to the interior ministry, but a heavy police presence largely prevented a repeat of the widespread violence and looting which shocked the nation on October 17."}],[{"start":147.92,"text":"Some 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed and just 65 people arrested, compared with 1,435 last month."}],[{"start":158.08,"text":"Officials and law enforcement remained on high alert throughout the night, worried Halloween celebrations could be used as cover for further chaos. There were some clashes between rioters and police but only on a limited scale."}],[{"start":170.24,"text":"“Radical elements” intent on looting and destruction attempted to break away from marches in Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon and Marseille but security forces prevented them, the interior ministry said."}],[{"start":181.84,"text":"“Today was a high-risk day,” interior minister Laurent Nuñez wrote on X Saturday night. “The elaborate, robust and agile security measures allowed the authorised demonstrations to proceed.”"}],[{"start":191.88,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1793534699_2483.mp3"}