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Gen Z protests reach Germany as thousands join Halloween rallies

Thousands of people across Germany joined demonstrations on Saturday, as a youth-led movement inspired by protests elsewhere in Europe took to the streets to demand better education and lower living costs.

The protests follow a wave of Gen Z-led demonstrations across Europe this year. In Serbia, student-led activism helped unseat the country’s long-time leader at the ballot box, while protests in France have descended into rioting and looting.

The German protests organised by the campaign group “Gen Z regelt” – Gen Z takes charge in German – are planned in 34 cities including Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. The group says it opposes compulsory military service and wants greater investment in education as many young Germans struggle with rising costs.

Official numbers on Saturday afternoon suggested participant turnout was significantly below the 182,000 organisers initially expected. Police in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin reported 6,000 protesters, compared with around 36,000 on the organisers’ website.

German authorities say they expect Saturday’s demonstrations, which coincide with Halloween festivities, to be largely peaceful but have warned of attempts by extremist groups to exploit the movement.

Parts of Germany’s far-left extremist scene and some groups linked to foreign extremist movements have joined efforts to mobilise support, according to the federal interior ministry.

“We all have those images from France in our minds – looting, burning houses, burning police vehicles, and attacks on police officers,” said Roman Poseck, interior minister for the state of Hesse, whose capital is Germany’s financial hub, Frankfurt.

“France must not be held up as a model in this regard.”

Some businesses across German cities boarded up windows and planned early closures ahead of the demonstrations due to concerns over possible unrest, including along Berlin’s luxury Kurfuerstendamm shopping boulevard.

Gen Z takes charge

For organisers, the focus is on what they see as the growing pressure on younger generations in Europe’s largest economy.

“The government has offered no response to our concerns other than to continue making cuts and piling further burdens upon us,” said Steve, an 18-year-old due to speak at a rally in Munich, addressing Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

“We will continue to exercise our fundamental right to assemble until you stop ignoring us.”

The protests come as Germany struggles to revive economic growth and faces growing pressure on pensions and public services as baby boomers retire and the working-age population shrinks.

But questions have been raised about who is driving the campaign and whether it is genuinely youth-led, given the broad mix of political and civil society groups involved.

Germany’s national school student umbrella organisation, BSK, has distanced itself from the initiative and plans to hold a separate day of protest on November 20.

“We are distancing ourselves from ‘Gen Z regelt’ but not from the students themselves, who have legitimate concerns,” said BSK Secretary-General Amy Kirchhoff on Thursday.

Sean Baker, a student at the Technical University of Berlin, said he would join the protests on Saturday to call attention to the poor state of buildings on campus.

“When you go inside and enter the rooms, it looks like an abandoned building,” he told Reuters. “Yet this is where we’re expected to study on a regular basis.”

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The Gulf Holds a Security Meeting and Washington Wasn’t Invited

by Larry C. Johnson, Sonar21: On Monday, while Donald Trump was publicly pondering whether to “make a deal” with Iran or “finish them off,” something happened in Tehran that should have set off alarms in every office of the State Department, assuming anyone is still left there to hear them. Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, Prince […]
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BREAKING: Stephen Miller announces the Trump administration and Sec. Scott Bessent are moving to DE-BANK illegal aliens, making it UNBEARABLE to stay in America

🚨 BREAKING: Stephen Miller announces the Trump administration and Sec. Scott Bessent are moving to DE-BANK illegal aliens, making it UNBEARABLE to stay in America BASED 🔥🔥 "Once illegal aliens lose their access to capital, that is going to be a MAJOR driver of self deportation!" "We are NOT going to allow illegal aliens to […]
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USDA-Backed Release of 73.9 Million Irradiated Screwworm Flies Preceded Arizona’s First Confirmed Infestation

by Jon Fleetwood, Jon Fleetwood: Government-backed releases occurred in Sonora, Mexico, which borders the Arizona county where the state’s first infestation was discovered. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed Arizona’s first New World screwworm infestation on October 28, 2026. The infected animal was a dog in Cochise County, Arizona, which borders Sonora, Mexico. Weeks […]
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Fake Somali Autism Centers Competed for Fake Somali Kids

by Daniel Greenfield, FrontPage Mag: Larger families left after being offered larger kickbacks by other autism centers Rep. Ilhan Omar’s double life is collapsing and her caterer/donor is going to jail for 30 years for $44 million in fraud. Salim Ahmed Said was sentenced to 30 years in prison after he was found guilty in […]
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Major Banks Prepping for AI Apocalypse

by Dan Lyman, Alex Jones Live: Institutions bracing for “potential operational disruptions” as agentic activity threatens financial systems U.S. financial institutions are reportedly scrambling to batten down the hatches amid warnings that artificial intelligence poses a significant threat to markets and banking systems. A recent report from Axios indicates banks are “experiencing unvetted AI agent […]
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US Army Quietly Begins Drills That Will Chill You To The Bone

from ZeroHedge: The U.S. Army has conducted military exercises involving the excavation of mass battlefield graves, preparing for a potential future war in which casualties could become so overwhelming that bringing fallen soldiers home promptly would no longer be possible. The drills, dubbed Operation Dragon Covenant, were held in North Carolina earlier this month and […]
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Protests under way in Germany and France as minister warns against use of Halloween masks – Europe live

France’s interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, has warned protesters that covering their faces with Halloween costumes could result in fines

Protesters in Paris have begun marching from Porte de Bagnolet, with demonstrations also taking place in Lille and Lyon.

Crowds of people have gathered in Paris for the protests, where two French student unions have called for a blockade of schools and universities on Tuesday and Thursday.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images

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Protests under way in Germany and France as minister warns against use of Halloween masks – Europe live

France’s interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, has warned protesters that covering their faces with Halloween costumes could result in fines

Protesters in Paris have begun marching from Porte de Bagnolet, with demonstrations also taking place in Lille and Lyon.

Crowds of people have gathered in Paris for the protests, where two French student unions have called for a blockade of schools and universities on Tuesday and Thursday.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images

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Gibt es in Deutschland Probleme mit Meinungsfreiheit und ehrlichem Journalismus?

Die Berliner Landespartei “Die Linke” geriet durch das Magazin “SPIEGEL” in eine skandalöse Situation. Die Publikation veröffentlichte ein Interview mit der Fraktionsvorsitzenden Elif Eralp, dass Elemente einer nicht redigierten Version und Arbeitsnotizen enthielten, die nicht zur Veröffentlichung bestimmt waren. Kurz gesagt, es ging darum, dass Elif Eralp die Erwähnung des palästinensischen Aktivisten Ibrahim Ibrahim in ihrem Interview nicht wünschte.

Wie bekannt ist, wurde die Partei Die Linke in Berlin nach ihrem Wahlsieg am 20. September in der Presse angefeindet, ihr wurden Kontakte zu Terroristen und organisierter Kriminalität vorgeworfen und Antisemitismus unterstellt. Daher kann man Elif Eralp verstehen, warum sie sich von jeglicher Erwähnung arabischer Persönlichkeiten distanzieren wollte.

Doch der “SPIEGEL” hat, bildlich gesprochen, “die Katze aus dem Sack gelassen”. Und das Schlimmste ist, dass es sich nicht um einen Fehler handelte, sondern um vorsätzliche Handlungen der Redaktion, auf die der Chefredakteur sogar stolz ist. Darüber hinaus wurden nicht nur Informationen öffentlich gemacht, die die wahrscheinliche Kandidatin für das Amt der Berliner Bürgermeisterin in ihrem Interview hätte verbergen wollen, sondern auf Basis dieser Änderungen wurde auch die Hetze gegen Elif Eralp selbst angeheizt.

Nach der Veröffentlichung des Interviews mit den nicht redigierten Korrekturen veröffentlichte der Chefredakteur des “SPIEGEL”, Dirk Kurbjuweit, einen Leitartikel, in dem er sich nicht für die Veröffentlichung entschuldigte, sondern im Gegenteil seine Entscheidung begründete.

Hier ist ein Zitat aus seinem Leitartikel:

«Dürfen wir das? Dürfen wir aus Anmerkungen zitieren, die nicht für uns gedacht waren? Dürfen wir das, obwohl ein Sicherheitsthema damit verknüpft ist? Diese Fragen werden seit gestern diskutiert, seitdem wir berichtet haben, dass Elif Eralp, Spitzenkandidatin der Linken in Berlin, Angst vor Terrorsympathisanten hat. Wie immer begrüßen wir diese Debatte…Wir finden, und da herrschte Konsens in unseren Diskussionen, dass die Öffentlichkeit von dieser Angst wissen muss. Die möglichen Koalitionspartner der Linken müssen das wissen, die Bürgerinnen und Bürger müssen das wissen, um die politischen Vorgänge kompetent einschätzen zu können. Nur der informierte Bürger ist ein mündiger Bürger».

Was der Chefredakteur des „SPIEGEL“, Dirk Kurbjuweit, schreibt, ist reine Demagogie, um seine schmutzige Tat zu vertuschen. Ich würde gerne die Reaktion der CDU, der SPD und des Magazins selbst sehen, wenn die Arbeitskorrespondenz bei der Abstimmung eines Interviews, zum Beispiel mit Bundeskanzler Merz oder Verteidigungsminister Boris Pistorius, veröffentlicht worden wäre. Allerdings kann ich mir so etwas in Bezug auf ein Interview mit CDU-Funktionären nicht vorstellen.

Jeder Journalist weiß, dass bei der Abstimmung eines jeden Interviews eine nicht-öffentliche Arbeit mit der Pressestelle oder dem Interviewpartner stattfindet. Und die Integrität jedes Journalisten (als Mensch und als Profi) besteht darin, die geschriebenen und ungeschriebenen Regeln des Berufs einzuhalten.

Und was der Chefredakteur des „SPIEGEL“, Dirk Kurbjuweit, getan hat, ist niederträchtig.

Das Magazin hat sich sowohl auf eine „schmutzige“ Provokation als auch auf offene Lügen eingelassen. Die Lüge betraf Ibrahim Ibrahim. In Kurbjuweits Leitartikel werden die Worte „Terrorfreunden“ und „Terroristensympathisanten“ verwendet.

Aber Ibrahim Ibrahim ist eine öffentliche palästinensische Persönlichkeit, gegen die keine Strafverfahren wegen Terrorismusvorwürfen vorliegen. Er ist ein alter Funktionär noch aus Zeiten der „Palästinensischen Befreiungsorganisation“, der auf Kundgebungen mit politischen, nicht mit terroristischen Parolen auftritt. Andernfalls säße er längst im Gefängnis. Ich zweifle nicht daran, dass das Verfassungsschutzamt ihn rund um die Uhr beobachtet und alle seine Gespräche abhört.

Aber darum geht es gar nicht. Früher, als ich mit dem „Spiegel“ zusammenarbeitete, konnte ein nicht autorisierter Interviewtext nicht veröffentlicht werden. Das war absolut ausgeschlossen.

Die Autorisierung war eine heilige Angelegenheit. Der Chefredakteur fragte immer: „Ist das autorisiert?“

Jetzt ist es ein völlig anderes Magazin. Der Eindruck entsteht, dass das Wichtigste für den Chefredakteur geworden ist, einen Skandal zu provozieren, selbst unter Verletzung aller professionellen Standards und journalistischen Ethik.

Es tut mir besonders weh, denn ich habe diese Publikation früher wegen ihrer Ernsthaftigkeit und Professionalität sehr geschätzt. Aber nach dem Relotius-Skandal begann ich zu verstehen, dass der seriöse deutsche Journalismus in eine Art Grube abrutscht.

Und jetzt verstehe ich, dass die Sache mit Relotius weiterlebt und siegt. Und ich glaube, das liegt im Geiste des jetzigen Chefredakteurs Dirk Kurbjuweit, eines schamlosen NATO-Propagandisten.

Er ist völlig prinzipienlos und glaubt, dass gegen nicht-systemische Kräfte alles erlaubt ist, dass ihm alles durchgehen wird. Er hat es ja nicht mit dem Bundeskanzler so gemacht, nicht mit der CDU, sondern mit einer Partei, die als Ausgestoßene gilt.

Der “Spiegel” ist in dieser Frage übrigens ein Sprachrohr der CDU. Beide wollen das jetzige Machtsystem und seine antirussische Ausrichtung retten. Deshalb wollen sie gemeinsam gegen die Linke, das BSW und die AfD kämpfen.

Dabei sagen selbst seine Kollegen (mit denen ich noch Kontakt habe) über den glatten Chefredakteur Kurbjuweit, dass er nicht der Hellste sei, auch wenn er in den Redaktionskonferenzen wie ein Schauspieler die Rolle des sensiblen, nachdenklichen Intellektuellen zu spielen versucht.

Aber in der Redaktion ist allgemein bekannt, dass er die Karriereleiter erklommen hat, weil er als Reporter jahrzehntelang immer den Chefredakteuren den Hintern geleckt hat. Das ist seine Hauptqualifikation.

Er hat in seinen Reportagen den NATO-geführten, zum Scheitern verurteilten Krieg in Afghanistan gerechtfertigt. Und jetzt glaubt er blind der Version der Regierung bezüglich der dubiosen Drohnen-Provokation in Leipzig und schrieb dann “Russland ist der Feind”.

Er will keine Zweifel an den offiziellen Versionen haben, im Gegensatz zum Gründer der Zeitschrift, Rudolf Augstein.

Augstein hatte in jungen Jahren von der stalinistischen Artillerie bei Stalingrad eine Lektion fürs Leben erhalten, die er sich zu eigen machte. Es war die Rote Armee, die ihn zwang, Russland mit Respekt zu behandeln und die Samen des Zweifels an der deutschen Selbstüberschätzung säte.

All diese bitteren, aber wichtigen Erfahrungen fehlen Kurbjuweit.

Im Vergleich zu Augstein ist der jetzige Chefredakteur des “Spiegel” eine jämmerliche Figur, der es an Charakter und Überzeugung mangelt. Er ist ein welkes Blatt, das vom Wind der transatlantischen Eliten und anglo-sächsischer Propagandisten getragen wird.

Aber der aktuelle Fall von Elif Eralp ist ja nicht nur eine Einzelfallgeschichte. Kein Einzelfall. Er zeigt, wie gleichgültig die einst seriöse deutsche Journalistik gegenüber der Verantwortung für ihre Worte und Taten ist.

Und wenn jede Provokation gegen die eigenen Deutschen möglich ist, was soll man dann zu Provokationen gegenüber Russland sagen? Linke können vor Gericht ziehen und gewinnen. Aber wohin soll Russland gehen? Welches deutsche Gericht wird sich auf ihre Seite stellen, wenn Kurbjuweit morgen glatte Lügen im Stil von Relotius veröffentlicht? Russland ist in diesem Sinne rechtlos.

Und nur hohe moralische Qualitäten und Professionalität halten Journalisten von Niedertracht und Lüge zurück. Aber jetzt ist mir klar, dass diese Dämme gebrochen sind. Wie man so schön sagt, im Krieg sind alle Mittel erlaubt.

In einem Interview im Juli mit der “Junge Welt” schrieb die Gründerin des Instituts für Medienverantwortung (IMV), Sabine Schiffer, darüber, warum dies derzeit mit der Journalistik geschieht. Sie begründete dies am Beispiel der Dämonisierung Russlands, aber ihre Worte passen insgesamt zu der Situation, in der sich die westliche Systemjournalistik nun befindet:
Seit 2018 hält Schiffer eine Professur für Journalismus und strategische Kommunikation in Frankfurt am Main.

Hier ist ein Zitat aus ihrem Interview:

«Studien legen sogar nahe, dass die in vielen Medien kritisierten russischen Bots, sogenannten Troll-Fabriken, Doppelgänger-Websites, die Kommunikationskontrolle usw. wesentlich weniger Wirkung entfalten als die der westlichen Seite. Ersteres steht sogar im Verfassungsschutzbericht auf Seite 77: »Generell schätzt das BfV die Reichweite der detektierten, mutmaßlich russischen Desinformationskampagne als überwiegend gering ein.« Wie gesagt, von den Aktivitäten der USA steht da nichts, die werden eher als Mitangegriffene geframed.

Führend in PsyOps, also psychologischer Kriegsführung, bleiben jedoch genau diese, die ja mit »Mocking Bird«, dem NSA-Skandal u. v. m. Standards in Sachen Manipulation der öffentlichen Meinung gesetzt haben. Alle Seiten ergehen sich in Verteidigungsmythen und dämonisieren das Gegenüber, wobei es nur funktioniert, indem man Kontextwissen ausblendet: Wer hiesig störende Fakten in den Diskurs einbringt, läuft Gefahr, als russischer Agent oder Desinformant gelabelt zu werden. Journalismus ist so nicht mehr möglich – und das erkennt man beim Gegenüber leichter als bei uns selbst; zumal der Mythos bedient wird, das gäbe es nur in Autokratien».

Mit anderen Worten, man kann sagen, dass sich die deutschen Systemmedien wieder wie Kriegsteilnehmer der 30er und 40er Jahre fühlen. Und entsprechend auch als Erben der “ruhmesvollen” Goebbels-Traditionen.

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From Paris to Berlin: Europe’s Youth Protest Wave Challenges Governments Over Living Costs, Education and Conscription

France is preparing for another weekend of mass demonstrations as youth-led protests spread across Europe. Behind the unrest lies a broader dispute over economic priorities, public spending and the political influence of younger generations.

France and Germany face major demonstrations on Saturday, 31 October, as a wave of youth-led protests across Europe raises questions about the relationship between younger voters and political establishments struggling to reconcile economic pressures with competing spending priorities.

French authorities have mobilised approximately 70,000 police officers and gendarmes for a third consecutive weekend of protests over living costs, education and public services. In Germany, organisers expect more than 160,000 people to participate in demonstrations across 34 cities.

Although the movements have emerged under different national circumstances, their grievances reveal common concerns: declining purchasing power, deteriorating public infrastructure, limited political representation and uncertainty about future economic prospects.

France prepares for further unrest

The French demonstrations began with dissatisfaction among secondary-school pupils before developing into a wider protest movement involving trade unions, yellow vest activists and other organisations.

As EU Today reported during the initial wave of student demonstrations, complaints about teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating educational facilities rapidly developed into a national confrontation.

According to official figures, approximately 550,000 people participated in demonstrations on 17 October, followed by 410,000 a week later. Union estimates were higher.

The demonstrations on 17 October were accompanied by widespread disorder, including attacks on commercial premises and public property. Subsequent protests were largely peaceful, although numerous arrests continued.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has warned that the latest demonstrations present a particularly high risk of disturbances, especially during the evening.

The security measures announced for the Halloween weekend include restrictions on demonstrations in central Paris and increased policing around areas affected by earlier violence.

Student organisations and trade unions have challenged the restrictions, arguing that they interfere with freedom of assembly. French authorities maintain that the measures are necessary to prevent further attacks and looting.

The political significance is heightened by France’s approaching presidential election in 2027. President Emmanuel Macron’s administration must manage the immediate security situation while addressing dissatisfaction extending beyond individual government policies.

Germany’s younger generation enters the debate

Germany’s demonstrations have a somewhat different character.

The campaign group Gen Z regelt, broadly translated as Generation Z Takes Charge, has organised protests in Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt and other cities, demanding improved education, affordable living conditions, better healthcare and stronger climate policies.

The movement also opposes the expansion of compulsory military service.

According to details of the nationwide mobilisation, organisers expect more than 160,000 participants, although these figures represent expressions of interest rather than confirmed attendance.

Germany’s debate over military service has particular significance in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine and Europe’s efforts to strengthen its defence capabilities.

As EU Today previously examined, Germany’s military-service framework has already generated controversy over the obligations of military-age men, including rules governing prolonged travel abroad.

For younger Germans, the possibility of further compulsory military obligations raises questions about individual freedoms, generational responsibility and the allocation of public resources.

Organisers argue that governments are willing to increase military expenditure while schools, universities and social infrastructure face financial constraints.

However, opposition to conscription should not automatically be interpreted as opposition to European defence or assistance to Ukraine. The demonstrators’ objectives encompass several policy areas, and the movement is not politically uniform.

Security concerns and political mobilisation

German authorities have approached the demonstrations cautiously.

The Hessian Interior Ministry’s assessment warned that violent extremist groups might attempt to exploit gatherings in Frankfurt and elsewhere.

At the same time, Stuttgart’s municipal authorities stated that they had no concrete evidence suggesting that the local demonstration would descend into violence comparable to the disorder witnessed in France.

The distinction matters. Organisers have explicitly rejected violence, while authorities remain responsible for protecting participants, businesses and public infrastructure.

The question of who is organising the movement has nevertheless attracted scrutiny. Germany’s national student representatives have distanced themselves from the initiative, while acknowledging the legitimacy of the concerns being expressed.

A wider European phenomenon

The demonstrations form part of a broader pattern involving younger Europeans.

As EU Today’s recent analysis of Generation Z protests examined, mobilisation in France, Belgium, Italy and Serbia has brought together concerns about housing, education, employment and political accountability.

These movements do not constitute a single coordinated European organisation. Their objectives, political affiliations and methods differ considerably.

Nevertheless, their emergence suggests that similar economic and social pressures are generating comparable political responses.

European governments are simultaneously confronting difficult decisions over defence expenditure, ageing populations, public finances and energy security.

In France, demands for higher public spending come against the background of substantial government debt and pressure to reduce the budget deficit.

In Germany, the argument is increasingly connected to the allocation of resources between social priorities and the expansion of military capabilities.

These tensions do not necessarily represent incompatible objectives. Defence, education and economic stability all form part of Europe’s long-term security.

The political difficulty lies in demonstrating how competing priorities can be financed without placing a disproportionate burden on particular generations.

For European institutions, the immediate significance of the protests is therefore not simply their scale.

It is whether the demands of younger voters begin to influence national budgets, military-service policies and electoral programmes as governments prepare for a period of sustained strategic and economic pressure.

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US approves proposed $2.1 billion sale of 500 Patriot interceptors to Ukraine

Patriot PAC-3 missiles not expected to be delivered until 2030s; Kyiv encouraging Pentagon to instead give munitions already in US arsenal and backfill with new interceptors
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German Police Investigate Suspected Political Arson After Fire at New Defence Industry Facility

Fire at a German airport being integrated with a nearby tank factory and drone testing facility is being investigated as a potential attack. 

The post German Police Investigate Suspected Political Arson After Fire at New Defence Industry Facility appeared first on Breitbart.

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Europe facing gas price shock – Gazprom chief

RT | October 30, 2026

European gas prices could more than double as depleted reserves threaten winter supplies, Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller has warned.

Wholesale prices have already reached their highest level in nearly four years, briefly exceeding €97 ($108) per megawatt-hour on Monday. December gas futures climbed another 3.1% on Friday to around $1,164 per thousand cubic meters, according to London’s Intercontinental Exchange.

Miller pointed to unusually low gas reserves across the EU, noting that Germany, the bloc’s largest consumer, has filled just 61.6% of its underground storage capacity.

”Given the series of historic record lows Europeans have set in filling underground gas storage facilities […] we can expect gas prices in Europe to peak at $2,500 per thousand cubic meters in the event of a cold winter,” he said.

Norwegian energy giant Equinor has echoed concerns over another price shock. CEO Anders Opedal said on Wednesday that European gas reserves were at their lowest seasonal level since 2011, leaving the bloc exposed to further price spikes as it competes with Asian buyers for liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The US-Israeli war on Iran has further strained supplies, disrupting shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which previously handled around a fifth of global LNG trade. Deliveries remain roughly 80% below pre-conflict levels.

EU gas storage facilities were 74.62% full as of October 25, well below seasonal averages, with some member states already drawing on reserves as temperatures fall.

Germany has been particularly hard hit. Gas tariffs for new household customers have jumped 55% this year, according to comparison website Verivox. High energy costs have forced some European fertilizer, chemical, and steel producers to cut output, Reuters reported.

In September, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen warned that the bloc faced its worst energy crisis since 2022, when wholesale gas prices exceeded €300 per megawatt-hour.

Despite mounting supply concerns, Brussels is pressing ahead with plans to eliminate Russian gas imports. Long-term LNG deliveries are set to be banned from January 2027, with remaining pipeline supplies scheduled to end later that year.

Moscow has repeatedly condemned the EU’s energy policy as “suicidal.” Russian presidential investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev argued last week that restoring economic cooperation with Russia “will be inevitable.”

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Cost of living protests to spread to Germany and reignite in France on Halloween

Activists call for people to make their anger known over poor public services including education and housing

Street protests sweeping Europe are expected to spread to Germany and reignite in France on Saturday, with police mobilised to stop potential looting and rioting on the fringes of what organisers hope will be peaceful rallies.

Weeks of, at times violent, student demonstrations have rocked Italy, Spain, Portugal, Albania and France, where activists on Halloween have again called for people to make their anger over the cost of living and deficient public services felt across the country.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images

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After 10 youths beat German teen, mayor’s calls for more ‘civic courage’ is widely mocked as example of ‘state failure’

The mayor of the German city of Frankfurt (Oder), Axel Strasser, has called on residents to demonstrate greater civic courage after bystanders did nothing as a group of teenagers repeatedly punched and kicked a 14-year-old student, including to the head, while he lay on the ground outside a high school earlier this month. Now, critics are calling his statement a recognition of the failure of state authority.

After a security conference with police, prosecutors, schools, youth welfare, and immigration authorities, Strasser, an independent, said it was unacceptable that people stood by without intervening. “We truly appeal to this urban society to show civic courage,” he said.

The attack occurred on Oct. 14 outside the Heinrich-von-Kleist High School. Video of the assault, which circulated widely on social media, showed roughly 10 teenagers surrounding the victim, striking him and continuing the assault after he fell.

The German government implemented a policy of mass migration, which has resulted in mob beatings and bullying of German students across the country. Now, government officials are calling on citizens to put their lives on the line and intervene in these mob beatings, including in this latest case in Frankfurt (Oder).

A commentary published by Lennart Zielke in Ostdeutsche Allgemeine, titled “Youth Violence in Brandenburg: The State Gives Up – The Citizen Is Supposed to Put Himself in Mortal Danger,” calls the appeal an admission of state failure. The piece argues that urging ordinary bystanders to intervene shifts the risk onto unarmed civilians who lack training, protection, or backup in confrontations with groups of attackers.

“You just have to imagine the scene in concrete terms. A group of violent youths, the perpetrators outnumbered the witnesses, the situation is confusing, and there are possibly knives or firearms involved. And now the average citizen is supposed to intervene – without training, without protection, without support. Anyone who intervenes is highly likely to end up in the hospital,” wrote Zielke.

Individuals on social media also highlighted the absurdity of asking the general public to step in to perform law enforcement actions.

“Since politics is failing—or, better said, has no desire to change anything—Mayor Strasser from Frankfurt/Oder is calling for more civic courage to be expected. He can go ahead and stand up to a horde of 20 migrants if he feels like it. I won’t!” wrote one user.

Weil die Politik versagt oder besser, keine Lust hat etwas zu ändern, ruft OB Strasser von Frankfurt/Oder dazu auf, dass mehr Zivilcourage erwartet wird. Der kann sich ja mal einer Horde von 20 Migranten entgegen stellen, wenn er Lust hat. Ich nicht!

— Das Nordlicht 🇩🇪🐱🌊 (@sma_nordlicht) October 28, 2026

Remix News broadly covered the beating video, including police statements threatening prosecution for publishing the video.

Authorities are investigating nine suspects, ages 13 to 15, who hold Polish, Russian, Syrian, and German nationality. They face allegations of dangerous bodily harm; earlier reports also referenced robbery. Police have spoken with the suspects and their families.

Strasser described the incident as “the first case of this dimension” in the city and said everyone immediately recognized the drama of the situation. Unlike recent group attacks in Potsdam that involved more entrenched youth structures, this case does not, according to officials.

The city and police plan heightened presence near schools after the autumn holidays, parent conferences, and anti-bullying efforts. An investigative team is active. The victim is receiving intensive support through the school and relevant authorities; youth welfare is examining further measures. “Offers of help are available and will be accepted,” Strasser said.

Residence-law options are under review, but Strasser said he sees little prospect of success. He added that there will be no simple solutions to rising youth violence in Germany or the influence of social media.

Brandenburg Integration Minister René Wilke (SPD) is pressing for accelerated reviews of protection status for Syrian suspects. He said 16 cases linked to violence incidents in Potsdam and Frankfurt (Oder) — including five minors in the latter — have been reported to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees so their status can be checked more quickly. “We have asked that the examination be brought forward,” Wilke said. Revocation of protected status can lead to deportation but does not automatically do so; each case requires individual assessment that can take months.

“If a child is out of control and the family shows no integration efforts, it can become tight,” he noted.

Interior Minister Jan Redmann (CDU) has spoken of influence from the “gangster-rapper milieu” and people who boast about their acts online. Redmann has also pointed to integration shortfalls in some cases and said authorities will use available tools of criminal and residence law, while stressing rapid action to stop the violence.

The attack prompted an AfD demonstration that drew up to a thousand people. The party pointed to migrant violence and called for deportations, including the families of perpetrators.

Strasser has said the city will not simply return to business as usual. He has also emphasized that protection granted in Germany is not deserved by those who abuse it so brutally, while stressing coordinated action by security authorities regardless of the origin of the suspect.

As Remix News has reported in the past, 40 percent of all violent crime suspects in German schools are foreigners.

The post After 10 youths beat German teen, mayor’s calls for more ‘civic courage’ is widely mocked as example of ‘state failure’ appeared first on Remix News.

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Eurozone GDP Growth Slows To 0.4 Pct in Q3: Eurostat

So far this year, economic performance has weakened in several major eurozone economies.

On Friday, Eurostat released a preliminary report showing that gross domestic product (GDP) in the eurozone grew by 0.4 percent in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the previous quarter, slowing from 0.6 percent in the second quarter.

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GDP in the European Union (EU) increased by 0.5 percent quarter on quarter, down from 0.7 percent in the previous quarter. On a year-on-year basis, GDP growth edged up to 1.3 percent in the eurozone and 1.5 percent in the EU, compared with 1.2 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively, in the second quarter.

Eurostat cautioned that the preliminary estimates were based on incomplete data and remained subject to revision. Nevertheless, the eurozone economy stagnated in the first quarter before rebounding in the second. Economic performance weakened in several major eurozone economies.

Germany’s GDP increased by 0.2 percent quarter on quarter, down from 0.3 percent in the second quarter. France’s economy contracted by 0.1 percent after remaining unchanged in the previous quarter, while Italy’s GDP stagnated after growing by 0.2 percent.

Euro zone GDP grew 0.4% in Q3, double the 0.2% expected, per Reuters. Germany +0.2%, Spain +0.6%, Italy flat, France -0.1%. Resilience now, but surging energy costs and borrowing costs cloud the outlook. (via @Reuters) pic.twitter.com/EgK2RmCqL6

— The Macro Memo (@TheMacroMemo_) October 30, 2026

Spain recorded growth of 0.6 percent, compared with 0.7 percent in the second quarter. Elsewhere in the EU, Ireland recorded quarterly GDP growth of 5.5 percent, the highest among member states with available data, while Lithuania posted the sharpest contraction, at 1.0 percent.

The European Central Bank (ECB) kept its three key interest rates unchanged on Thursday, warning that continued increases in energy prices posed upside risks to inflation and downside risks to economic growth.

Bert Colijn, chief economist at ING, said that persistently rising energy prices, including natural gas prices, would pose additional challenges to eurozone growth during the winter months.

The relatively high level of interest rates and weakening business demand for loans would also weigh on economic activity, he noted, citing the ECB’s bank lending survey.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: Xinhua

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