German pupils strike in 100 cities against military service law

With a military service law in force since January requiring 18-year-old men to fill out questionnaires and medical exams due from 2027, around 45,000 German students protested against a return of conscription.

In Germany, where the Military Service Modernization Act has been in force since January, students staged nationwide protests against a possible return of conscription. Organizers of the “school strike against conscription” said about 45,000 students took to the streets in some 100 cities on Friday.

The law requires 18-year-old men to fill out a questionnaire on their willingness and suitability to serve, and mandatory medical exams for those born in 2008 or later start in July 2027. Service remains voluntary for now, but parliament can introduce conscription if recruitment targets are missed or the security situation deteriorates.

Police put turnout in Berlin at around 2,400, with protests also in Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Munich and Hamburg. Protesters said money going to the Bundeswehr should go to education and social services. Palestinian flags were also seen.

The previous major school strike against conscription took place on December 5, 2025, the day the Bundestag approved the law.