Protesters block entrances to Berlin’s Andreas school

About 100 teenagers protested outside Berlin’s Andreas-Gymnasium on October 16 against compulsory military service and for more education funding, Berliner Morgenpost reported, citing police.

Officers used physical force to manage the situation, according to the newspaper. One 17-year-old participant was detained. Berliner Morgenpost said he was believed not to attend the school.

The school told parents that morning that access had been blocked, public broadcaster RBB reported. Its notice said teachers were looking after children and classes would begin once the gates reopened.

Germany’s new military-service arrangements, in force since January, retain voluntary service. According to the federal government, mandatory medical examinations for men born in 2008 and later are due to begin on July 1, 2027. Reintroducing compulsory call-ups would require a separate law passed by the Bundestag.