Friday, December 5
A nationwide school strike will take place today in protest of military conscription – including in Berlin. Two actions have been planned in the capital.
Under the motto “school strike against conscription,” the first demonstration will take place at 12:00 in Kreuzberg. Even though it collides with compulsory schooling, meaning the strike is not permissible under labour laws, the registered 1,000 participants plan to walk from Mehringplatz to Oranienplatz in protest.
At 16:00, a second demonstration called “against conscription” by the teachers’ union GEW will continue from Oranienplatz to Rathaus Neukölln with 2,000 registered participants. This morning, the Bundestag is set to vote on the Military Service Modernisation Act, which is expected to come into force at the beginning of 2026.
This would mean that young men and women born from 2008 onwards would receive an online questionnaire about their service willingness and be asked to undergo a medical check. Men would be obliged to fill it out, although women would not be.
The Berlin State Student Committee has shown support for the protests, stating on Wednesday that the strike “is welcomed.”
