The nationwide initiative “School Strike Against Compulsory Military Service” is calling for a school strike throughout Germany this Friday. Over 90 strike committees are organizing demonstrations and rallies in various cities to send a clear message: We refuse to accept the planned reintroduction of compulsory military service, the militarization of society, and the logic of war!
The day was deliberately chosen: On Friday, the Federal Parliament (Bundestag) is set to vote on the Military Service Modernization Act, which is expected to come into force at the beginning of 2026.
We are currently facing a situation in which the Federal Defence Forces (Bundeswehr) are once again a massive presence in the cityscape: posters, social media, slogans with “70 reasons to join the Bundeswehr”. And all of this is accompanied by security promises that are factually incorrect. The government is planning for more than twice as many soldiers as today in case of an “emergency.” Currently, there are 180,000, and 460,000 are planned. And that is precisely why the Military Service Act is now being reissued. The contradiction is obvious: the missing soldiers must come from somewhere. Starting in early 2026, all people with a German passport born in 2008 or later will receive a questionnaire. For men, or people with a male passport entry, answering will be mandatory, not – yet – for women. There are no other genders, because war only recognizes two.
The first to be affected: a generation that is already burdened by coronavirus policies, social and educational cuts, the climate crisis, and a future marked by crisis. The same generation that refuses to normalize the everyday murder of people in Gaza, even though any solidarity with Palestinians is viewed with suspicion and often met with massive police violence. A generation that refuses to die for ‘heroism’ and ‘sacrifice’.
A generation that, as part of the “School Strike Against Compulsory Military Service” initiative, is demanding the right to choose their future:
“They say we should be able to wage war for Germany. But what about our right to live in peace and decide for ourselves how we want to live our lives?“
On Friday, people will take to the streets in more than 90 cities to express also their opposition to a political system based on exploitation, which is now setting out to ‘train’ people and to buy and force their service for its wars.
The strike makes it clear: we will boycott the new compulsory military service. Right from the start. We stand by our decision: you won’t get us. Are you in?
