Germany: 250,000 students rise up against attacks on learning

Over 250,000 school students, university students and trainees took to the streets on June 17. The students were demonstrating against cuts in education and also against the increasing involvement of private enterprise in the school system. The protests took place in more than 70 cities all over the country.

This demonstration was the highlight of a nationwide ‘week of protest’ organised from 15-19 June. REVOLUTION Germany was active in Freiburg, Stuttgart, Nürnberg, Frankfurt. Kassel, Jena, Eberswalde, Hamburg and Berlin.

It was the third nationwide protest since 12 June 2008 which was followed by one on 12 November. 15 cities joined the protests at the beginning, but now it is spreading all over Germany. A real success was that this time school students were joined by university students – the first time they have demonstrated together for 3 years. 10,000 students participated.

Some of the biggest demonstrations included 30,000 protesters in Berlin, 15,000 in Stuttgart, more than 10,000 in Freiburg and Göttingen, nearly 10,000 in Hamburg, over 5000 in Frankfurt and Munich, 8000 in Heidelberg and so on – a huge mobilisation. In some cities there were common strikes with education and social workers, which have been on strike for three weeks.

The protests were not just the largest for a long time, but they were also the most political ones. In many cities the slogans "Education instead of banks", or "Education instead of bombs" were raised, showing a more anti-capitalist feeling than had been seen on the previous mobilisations.

We call on all the workers and youth in Germany to join in with the protests, and the struggle against a selective education system which puts profit above learning. This fight, and the fight against workers and youth being made to pay for a crisis we didn’t cause are one and the same – let’s fight now for our future!