(MENAFN) Mass student walkouts erupted across Germany Friday as youth mobilized against controversial legislation mandating military health assessments for young men.

The nationwide "School Strike Against Military Service" movement sparked protests spanning over 90 municipalities, from Hamburg and Bochum to Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Stuttgart. Organizers coordinated simultaneous demonstrations in Bielefeld and Münster as resistance intensified.

More than 3,000 demonstrators converged near Berlin's Hallesches Tor metro hub before flooding toward Oranienplatz, brandishing signs declaring "No to compulsory military service," "Students against wars and rearmament," "Our future is our future," and "We decide ourselves."

A separate contingent staged a demonstration outside the parliamentary complex while legislators inside engaged in heated floor debate over the measure.

The Bundestag approved the legislation 323-272, recording one abstention. The bill advances to the Bundesrat, Germany's upper legislative chamber, for consideration before month's end. If ratified, implementation begins Jan. 1, 2026.

The legislative overhaul targets severe staffing deficits plaguing the Bundeswehr, Germany's military apparatus, which maintains approximately 184,000 active personnel. Meeting NATO commitments requires expanding forces to roughly 270,000 troops by 2035—demanding around 20,000 fresh enlistments yearly, according to the Defense Ministry.

The restructured framework mandates all males born Jan. 1, 2008, or later submit questionnaires evaluating their capabilities, physical condition, and military interest, followed by compulsory medical evaluations. Female participation remains voluntary.

While service stays optional initially, insufficient recruitment numbers trigger mandatory parliamentary reassessment in subsequent years—opening pathways to need-based conscription or universal mandatory service as final measures.

Germany eliminated compulsory military duty in 2011, transitioning to a volunteer-based professional military structure.

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