German school students rally against army recruitment drive

BERLIN, Mar 06 (Arab News): Thousands of German teenagers skipped school Thursday to join protests against a stepped-up military recruitment drive that many fear may in future involve a form of conscription.

About 3,000 students gathered on Berlin's Potsdamer Platz square, with smaller demonstrations held across Germany as part of a nationwide "school strike."

"I don't see why anyone should have to go to the front lines for politicians," Alex Krzeszka, a 15-year-old student, told at the rally. "I don't see it as morally right, and I think war should never be the solution. Problems should be solved diplomatically." Germany, like other European countries, has sought to build up its armed forces in response to Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the threat of further aggression against NATO members.