Arya News - Thousands of school students took to the streets in major German cities on Friday in a show of protest against a new bill on the modernization of military service, German media reported.
The bill was adopted by the federal parliament earlier in the day in a 323-272 vote with one abstention. It introduces, among other things, a mandatory medical examination for 18-year-old young men and a mandatory draw if there is the need to increase the manpower of the German armed forces. About 1,500 students rallied in front of the University of Hamburg, the NDR broadcaster reported. Similar protests took place in Stuttgart, Rostock, Nuremberg, Leipzig and over 70 other cities and municipalities, the protest organizer, Schulstreik gegen Wehrpflicht (School Strike Against Compulsory Military Duty), said. Under German law, students may not miss school to participate in protests, but in previous years, many schools allowed their students to take part in climate strike actions during classes. In November, Germany"s ruling coalition of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) bloc and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) reached an agreement on a draft law to modernize military service. The bill is guided by the Swedish model of military service and combines the principle of voluntariness with attractive service conditions. The law is expected to come into force at the beginning of 2026. It introduces the obligation for all young men born after December 31, 2007, to fill out a survey about their weight, height, and personal data. Women can opt to filled out survey. Germany has been seeking to increase the size of its armed forces to 203,000 since 2018 to reverse years of decline. Despite the military"s efforts, the force stood at approximately 182,000 as of March.