The demonstration of around 3,000 people turned violent as police used batons and tear gas to disperse crowds, social media footage showed. Organizers said between 40 and 60 protesters were injured, while police confirmed several arrests but gave no figures.
Carrying banners reading, “Lay down your arms” and “We won’t fight your wars,” protesters accused the government of diverting public resources to the arms industry instead of education and social needs. Some warned Berlin’s policies risked pushing the world toward a “third world war.”
The unrest comes after Merz announced plans to raise defense expenditure to 3.5% of GDP by 2029 and expand the armed forces from 182,000 to 240,000 personnel by 2031. Germany has also begun registering 18-year-olds in preparation for a possible return of compulsory service, while Merz has floated the prospect of sending German troops to Ukraine as part of a European peacekeeping mission.
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