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Listen to the Gen Z protests!
Assessments of the Gen Z protests must, above all, assume that something new has emerged with them. The still featureless and dynamic movement does not simply fit into predetermined categories.
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Symbolbild · Leonhard Lenz / CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Assessments of the Gen Z protests must, above all, assume that something new has emerged with them. The still featureless and dynamic movement does not simply fit into predetermined categories.
Now I have read and thought different things. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to discuss much about it so far, but that may happen soon. I thought about it and represented some views - which in an initial assessment stated: „Gen Z - the measure is full“ (https://www.untergrund-blättle.ch/politik/deutschland/gen-z-das-mass-ist-voll-010273.html). I realize that I have already been through a lot and experienced a lot. But in various respects, current events only partially fit into the explanatory models of processes, actors and framework conditions that I have developed for myself.
Basically, one would have to say: It would actually be a good idea to listen, observe and go along with it before trumpeting any opinions about what is happening into the world. My perception is that there are five categories of articulated perspectives on the Gen Z protests. In the Federal Republic of Germany, the demonstrations on October 31st are over. meant by November 20th at the latest. should be repeated. (For my description, I have refrained from naming individual contributions, authors and media in order to focus on perception. What I am referring to could be stated in detail elsewhere.) So, firstly, there are many media producers who consistently incite against the movement, which is devalued as a “youth movement”, and deliberately misrepresent and discredit it. Secondly, there are some media outlets on the extreme right that put pressure on the former, pro-government views and ultimately project the ideological scenario of a civil war into the protests because they benefit from it.
Third, there are few liberal media outlets that seek explanations, such as timidly addressing educational inequalities. Fourthly, there are few left-wing media outlets in which different views are sometimes represented. In these, obviously existing class aspects are discussed, the hate speech against migrants is criticized and generational differences are also asked. Fifth, there are a good number of commentators from older generations who, sometimes reflexively and sometimes consciously, distance themselves from the Gen Z protests and previous movements taking place within them. (By previous movements I mean in particular the Anti-Militarist Movement, Palestine Solidarity, partly the climate movement and parts of the Antifa movement.)
The people researching, portraying, commenting and describing would have to be discussed individually in their categories. As for the first, I have personally never experienced the speed with which pro-government defamations and discredits are spread. As far as the “new” media of the extreme right is concerned, it would be necessary to find out to what extent they act in a coordinated manner and which civil war scenarios they assume.
But I also wonder what the group of commenters in the last group is all about. My impression is that old, white, more or less left-wing men are rebelling here. (I mean this descriptively and not in a moral sense.) They are particularly bothered by the “violence” supposedly carried out by the movement, explain penetratingly what is legitimate and what is not, and in various ways deny the legitimacy of the protests at all. They deny that living conditions are continually getting worse for young people too. And they remain silent about the massive cuts in welfare state benefits, the rise of the AfD as the strongest party political force in the polls and the ongoing militarization. In summary: They close their eyes, distort connections and actually have no connection to the events, not to their actors and do not understand what motivates them.
I understand that I understand little. And I see that the old white, more or less left-wing men are wrong with their ideas and comments. There is a rumbling in the rafters. How this rumbling can continue to move and gain momentum remains to be found out. You don't always need to draw a comparison with France, Belgium, Italy and Serbia - even if there are connections and the attempt at a European general strike on November 20th, supported by various groups. represent a rare joint articulation. But the issues that appeal to young people in particular are also real in this country - including not only the experience of broken schools where lessons are repeatedly canceled. It is also a fact that universities have been devastated in recent years. There is an increase in rents, especially in the cities, and inflation everywhere.
In other words: several problems associated with the class issue have been building up more and more over the last few years. They are culminating now because their first consequences are becoming clearly visible. And because they have been greatly exacerbated by the policies of the current government. In addition, there is an intensification of racism, but also a greater awareness of it. It still has an impact that social movements that have recently become strong again have been criminalized, stigmatized and suppressed, especially with regard to climate, Palestine and Antifa.
What would be initiated under the label Gen Z is no longer about timidly complaining about cuts in the areas of education, psychotherapy, care, public infrastructure, etc. Protesters are no longer just “concerned” about the rise of fascism, global warming and militarization. Rather, the topics are becoming increasingly connected and associated with class rule. This means that everything is being done more and more and the question arises as to what foundations the future form of society should be based on. If these aspirations could be made conscious and developed in a collective exchange and supported by many, other actors would join in - then one could speak of a potentially social-revolutionary orientation here.
The current movement does not correspond to my experiences of previous movements because the circumstances in which it takes place have changed. That's why it's completely unclear how it will go and who will get involved. It is not possible to predict how it will specifically form and what forms of action it may produce. For this reason, those - mostly older and white - on the left who devalue or ridicule the Gen Z protests should stop trying to piece together their ideas and views. Instead, they should actively engage with what is going on. You should look at this movement for yourself and participate in it - despite all possible criticism and bias. This is particularly true for union leftists. But also for remaining autonomous people. As far as anarchists are concerned, that would be a separate topic again…
What I'm actually interested in are the questions:
(1) How can perspectives for comprehensive social change be developed from this movement?
(2) What could these be?
(3) Which emancipatory concerns can be realized in it?
(4) Can explicitly anarchist ideas be incorporated into this?
(5) Do anarchist things arise, so to speak, from the existing dynamics and movement and if so, how could these be promoted?