
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Berlin and Frankfurt on Saturday, demanding urgent action on housing affordability and policy reforms ahead of Berlin’s upcoming election.
In Berlin, a coalition including the Mieterverein tenants’ association organized a demonstration outside the Red Town Hall, drawing between 3,000 and 11,000 participants, according to police and organizer estimates. Protesters carried banners with slogans such as “No profit from rent,” “Homes for all,” and “Stop heating cost rip-offs.” Speakers called for the occupation of vacant buildings and solidarity with tenants facing evictions, while others criticized the poor condition of state-owned housing, citing issues like broken elevators, mold, and asbestos in developments such as Neukölln’s High-Deck and Rollberg settlements. One speaker demanded that state housing companies prioritize maintenance over new construction, stating, “State-owned housing companies must finally operate in the public interest” .
In Frankfurt, around 2,600 cyclists joined the ADFC Bike Night, a protest urging the city to prioritize cycling infrastructure under the slogan, “We’ve had enough of noise and fine dust: Make Frankfurt a bike city now.” The event, which began with a rally at Mainkai followed by a nighttime bike demonstration, proceeded without incident, according to police .
The protests come as Germany faces a housing shortage, with the Ifo-Institut reporting that only 185,000 apartments are expected to be completed in 2026, the lowest figure in 15 years .
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