Ahead of Gen Z protest, shops on Berlin's Ku'damm board up their windows
Luxury stores in Berlin's City West are preparing for Saturday's demonstrations. Police expect a peaceful protest at the Brandenburg Gate.
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Ahead of Saturday's youth protests, several shops on Berlin's Kurfürstendamm have secured their display windows. "We are expecting the worst and preparing accordingly," staff at Prada said, according to the German Press Agency. At Tiffany & Co., there are fears "that it will be here as it was in other countries like France".
A "Gen Z regelt" rally with around 10,000 expected participants is registered for 2 p.m. at the Brandenburg Gate; police expect it to be peaceful. They take a more critical view of a march from Rosenthaler Platz at 5:30 p.m., for which 400 to 500 people are expected. According to police, the organizer comes from the left-wing spectrum, and participants from the pro-Palestinian scene are also expected.
Police President Barbara Slowik Meisel said there were calls linked to the unrest in France, but no concrete indications of planned looting: "At the moment, however, we see no mobilization resulting from these calls." Around 1,500 officers are deployed. The organizers announced stewards, medics and an awareness team. "It is important to us that no one uses violence," said spokeswoman Veronika Dinter.