Berlin streets fill as thousands protest proposed military draft
Thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Berlin on Friday to protest the new military service law, which seeks to expand the Bundeswehr and help Germany meet NATO defence targets amid concerns over a potential Russian threat.
Protesters chanted slogans, waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners and placards reading, 'No to conscription' and 'We won’t fight in your wars!' as they moved through the city under police supervision.
Under the draft bill, Germany aims to increase its active military personnel to 260,000 and expand its reserve forces to 200,000 by 2035.
Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011, shifting to a professional volunteer force. However, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and rising defence commitments within NATO renewed debate about reintroducing conscription in various forms.
The proposed Military Service Modernization Act would require all 18-year-old men to register for potential service, with the government able to activate call-ups through a lottery system if voluntary recruitment does not meet demand.
(Source: AFP)
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