Germany and France Brace for Unrest: Stores Boarded Up, Over 160K Protesters Expected

More than 160,000 demonstrators are expected in Germany to protest the cost of living and education funding, while shops in Cologne and Paris brace for potential riots.

Alert levels have risen across Germany and France ahead of mass demonstrations, with business owners in Cologne boarding up storefronts amid fears of rioting, German newspaper Die Welt reported. In Paris, police forces also remain on high alert against potential violent clashes.

Meanwhile, according to The Guardian, the German youth movement "Gen Z regelt" anticipates more than 160,000 people will take to the streets demanding higher funding for schools, relief from the rising cost of living, and stronger climate action. Protest organizers urged participants to demonstrate peacefully and dismissed warnings by authorities that violent groups could infiltrate the rallies.