Protesters have spoken out against new German legislation that introduces a lottery-based conscription system.
Thousands of high school students marched through Berlin to demonstrate against a recently passed law that allows for the return of mandatory military service if volunteer numbers are insufficient.
The Military Service Modernization Act requires all 18-year-old German men to register for potential service starting this year by completing a questionnaire and a medical examination. The law allows for the military to draft recruits via a lottery system if they experience a shortage of personnel.
Nach dem ist vor dem Schulstreik: Die Demonstration gegen die Wehrpflicht hat inzwischen den Ort der Abschlusskundgebung erreicht. Laut den Veranstaltern beteiligten sich allein in Berlin mehr als 6.000 Schülerinnen und Schüler an den Protesten. Der nächste…
— junge Welt (@jungewelt)
Although Germany ended the draft in 2011, high-ranking officials, such as Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, have recently proposed its revival, pointing to a perceived threat from Russia. Moscow has repeatedly rejected claims that it has aggressive designs on its Western neighbors.
The “School strike against the draft” occurred on Thursday in Berlin and several other German cities.
Police estimated that 3,000 students participated in the capital, while organizers asserted that 10,000 attended in Berlin, with over 50,000 taking part nationwide.
Die Polizei Berlin hat den Teilnehmern des |s gegen Wehrpflicht untersagt, die Parole »FRIEDRICH MERZ, LECK MEINE EIER« zu rufen.
Die Teilnehmer …
— junge Welt (@jungewelt)
Protesters gathered at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, holding signs with messages such as “Dying is not in the curriculum,” “[Chancellor] Friedrich Merz to the front,” and “A smart head doesn’t fit under a steel helmet.”
According to German media, other slogans included “Never, never, never again conscription” and “The rich want war, the youth want a future.”
An organizer told the Tagesschau news outlet that the new law serves as a “preparatory phase for conscription.”
“Given its historical responsibility, the Federal Republic should push for diplomacy and peaceful resolutions rather than rearmament,” the organizer stated.
Last year, Pistorius argued that Russia might attack a NATO member “as early as 2028,” emphasizing the necessity of significant military investment.
Similarly, in 2025, German Chancellor Merz expressed his goal of making the nation’s military the most powerful conventional force within the European Union.
Russia has consistently dismissed these warnings as “nonsense,” with President Vladimir Putin stating he is open to offering the bloc written security assurances.