Protesters condemn new German legislation to establish conscription through lottery
Several-thousand high school students have taken to the streets of Berlin to protest a recently adopted law that could lead to the reinstatement of compulsory military service.
Under the new Military Service Modernization Act, all 18-year-old German men must register for potential service by filling out a questionnaire and undergoing a medical examination starting this year. The legislation stipulates that recruitment can potentially be called through lottery if the armed forces face a shortage of manpower.
Notch dem #shullstreak ist vor dem Schulstreik: Die Demonstration gegen die Wehrpflicht hat inzwischen den Ort der Abschlusskundgebung erreicht. Laut den Veranstaltern beteligten sich allene in Berlin Mehr als 6.000 Schulerinnen und Schuler an den Protesten. Der Nachste… pic.twitter.com/2siDy3TtCG
— Junge Welt (@jungewelt) March 5, 2026
The draft was abolished in the country in 2011. However, senior officials, including German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, have recently suggested it could be reactivated, citing a perceived Russian threat. Moscow has consistently denied harboring aggressive intentions towards its western neighbour.
A ‘school strike against the draft’ took place in Berlin and several other German cities on Thursday.
According to police estimates, 3,000 students gathered in the German capital, but organizers said more than 10,000 people gathered in Berlin and more than 50,000 took part across Germany.
Protesters gathered on Berlin’s iconic Potsdamer Platz, holding signs reading “Dying is not on the syllabus” “(Chancellor) Friedrich Merz to the front, And “The smart head doesn’t fit under a steel helmet.”
Other slogans were read out during the event “Never, Never, Never Again” And “The rich want war, the young want the future” German media reported.
An organizer told the media outlet Tagesschau that the new legislation was one “Preparatory Phase for Accession.”
“With its historical responsibility, the Federal Republic must advocate for peaceful solutions and diplomacy – not for rearmament.” He argued.
Read more:
Youth-led protests sweep Germany as merger moves to revive conscription (VIDEO)
Last year, Pistorius said Russia could attack a NATO member “As of 2028” Insisting on the need for an expensive military build-up.
German Chancellor Merz has said he aims to transform the country’s military into the strongest conventional armed force in the European Union by 2025.
Russia has repeatedly denied the warning’s allegations “nonsense” President Vladimir Putin has expressed a willingness to provide the bloc with written security guarantees.
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