Call to action: Fight against conscription!

1 December 2025

On Friday, 5 December 2025, the Bundestag is set to vote on the ‘Law on the Modernisation of Military Service’. For weeks, various alliances and organisations have been mobilising protests and campaigns against it. We, as the AStA, expressly support this cause and are therefore calling for the following actions in Hamburg:

• Demonstration ‘Against conscription for the civil development of life!’ – Thursday, 4 December at 3 p.m., Heidi-Kabel-Platz (main station)
• School and university strike against conscription – Friday, 5 December at 9:30 a.m., meeting point Blattwerk (feeder demonstration), 10 a.m. Hachmannplatz
• Trade union youth demonstration ‘Oppose conscription!’ – Friday, 5 December at 4 p.m., Stephansplatz

As students, we are – after school pupils and trainees – among those most directly affected by the planned reintroduction of compulsory military service. From January 2026, conscription will become compulsory for all young men born in 2008 or later. If there are not enough volunteers, a lottery will be held to decide who has to serve. There are also plans to extend conscription to older age groups.

For us, it is clear that conscription is a central component of state rearmament and war preparation. Under the narrative of an immediate threat from the East, young people are to be prepared to die in the trenches in case of emergency. Yet wars serve neither democracy nor human rights nor freedom – they secure geopolitical interests and profits for the few.

We are already feeling the consequences of this militarisation: funds are being cut across the social sector – for women's shelters, refugee care and universities. While billions are being spent on armament, there is a lack of funds for social, just and peaceful living conditions. This destructive social policy creates a breeding ground for the rise of the right wing and fascism.

That is why we see it as our duty to resolutely oppose the reintroduction of conscription. We must stand together loudly, in solidarity and visibly against war, militarisation and fascism.

Join the university strike! We will meet at 9:30 a.m. on campus in front of the Blattwerk and will support the school strike together as a feeder demonstration at Hachmannplatz.