Around 24,000 Germans took to the streets Saturday in protest of high living costs and rising energy prices.
Protestors in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hannover, Stuttgart, Dresden and Frankfurt-am-Main gathered to demand a more equitable distribution of government funds to relieve rising costs, Reuters reported. The unifying slogan for demonstrators nationwide read “together through the crisis — ensure social security and end fossil fuel dependence,” according to German news outlet Deutsche Welle.
Berlin saw similar protests the previous weekend with demonstrators holding signs demanding “immediate help for the poor,” Euro News reported. Still, others called on the government for healthier food and for an end to poverty, the news site noted.
Demonstrations in Germany follow a summer of high inflation that has hit households and businesses, according to Euro News. Germany hit a 50-year high in August with rates reaching 8.9%, the outlet noted.
A demonstrator holds a sign which reads “Inflation! Doner prices are too high!” during a protest to promote energy independence from Russia, in Berlin, Germany, October 22, 2022. REUTERS/Christian Mang
Saturday’s protests, organized by environmental groups and unions, took place only one day after Germany’s parliament approved a 200 billion euro rescue package, according to Reuters. The package aims to offset the impact of rising prices on households and businesses, Reuters said. It includes a one-time monthly payment for monthly gas bills for households and small to medium size businesses. (RELATED: Dutch Agriculture Minister Resigns After Mass Farmers Protests)
These measures and others adopted by European governments have not been enough to ease impact on households across the continent, according to Reuters. Strikes broke out nationwide in France whilst workers across Britain plan to strike over pay increases soon, Reuters reported. Thousands in Hungary likewise rallied for higher wages this month, as Belgians gathered in late September to protest high energy and living costs, the outlet noted.