Germany is witnessing a new wave of youth protests today, Friday, as students gather in streets across the country to express their rejection of mandatory conscription and being sent to fight.
According to the "School Strike Against Mandatory Conscription" initiative, around 100 demonstrations are expected to take place throughout various cities in Germany. A spokesperson for the initiative stated in a statement to the German news agency that students are determined to continue their strike until the idea of mandatory conscription is completely dropped.
These protests come in the wake of the new military service rules that came into effect last January, which essentially require a medical examination for young people born in 2008 or later, with the aim of recruiting volunteers to expand the ranks of the German army.
The law allows the parliament to impose mandatory conscription if the desired volunteer numbers are not achieved, after Germany suspended conscription in 2011.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government is seeking to expand the army and increase its numbers as part of a confrontation policy with Russia, but it faces widespread public rejection, especially among young people.
This opposition has reflected on Merz's popularity, which has dropped among young people from 30% in May 2025 to just 3.6% in August 2026, amidst a collective memory of the hardships faced during confrontations with Russia and their country's defeat in World War II.