IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
According to the ‘School Strike Against Conscription’ initiative, the protests are demanding more funding for education and opposing conscription. A video on Instagram shows about 60 students standing in front of the entrance. Some were also displaying Palestinian flags. A banner reads the demand, “Stop conscription and education cuts.”
The school informed parents and children this morning that access was blocked. Teachers are looking after the children. Classes will begin as soon as the gates are opened.
The action is reminiscent of the current school protests in France. Since the end of September, hundreds of thousands of school and university students have taken to the streets there – primarily demanding better school facilities, more teachers, and improved learning conditions. There have also been smaller protests in Berlin.
On Monday, students at the French Gymnasium in Mitte blocked access to their school in solidarity with their French counterparts. Berlin’s Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU) criticised the school strike as unacceptable. School is not a lawless space, said the Education Senator to the rbb news station in response to an inquiry. However, the right of students to express their opinions and participate is an important component of democracy.
Another video circulating on social media this morning shows a scuffle between students and police. “We are peaceful, what about you?” the students shout. Left-wing groups on Instagram accused the police of using violence against the protesters. A police spokesperson stated that it was merely a disagreement about the assembly point for the demonstration.