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Huge protests in Hamburg: 'We are the cityscape!' against Merz!
On October 25, 2025, around 5,000 people protested in Hamburg against Chancellor Merz's controversial "cityscape" statement.
Huge protests in Hamburg: 'We are the cityscape!' against Merz!
A large demonstration is taking place in Hamburg today under the motto “We are the cityscape!” The protest action was launched to protest against the controversial statements made by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). Despite the critical issue, the organizer is expecting around 5,000 participants, while the police are expecting slightly fewer. The rally started at 1 p.m. at the Rathausmarkt and moves along Mönckebergstrasse, Gerhart-Hauptmann-Platz and Steintordamm to Kirchenallee.
The outrage over Merz's comment, in which he spoke of a "problem in the cityscape", has been going on for more than a week. Merz, who also addressed the issue of returns during a statement on migration policy, encountered strong opposition. Criminal scientist Susanne Beck called for a return to an objective debate and warned against further stigmatization of population groups.
Protests in other cities
Numerous people in Berlin and other cities had already protested against Merz's statements. According to the police, around 1,800 people gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate on Sunday evening to also set an example. Many demonstrators there carried posters with slogans such as “We are the cityscape” and “Heart instead of hate speech in the cityscape”.
There were many young people among the demonstrators who showed solidarity with the “Parents Against the Right” alliance. A statement of solidarity also came from CSU leader Markus Söder, who classified the criticism of Merz as a “left-wing campaign”. Merz himself emphasized that critics had to ask themselves whether they were interested in solving the problem or not.
Voices from the opposition and the experts
However, there is sharp criticism from political opponents and experts. The integration officer Natalie Pawlik (SPD) warned against stigmatizing statements about migration. Green Party leader Franziska Brantner also called on Merz to clarify his statement, while the Left demanded an apology. Sociologist Daniel Kubiak from Humboldt University described the Chancellor's statements as racist and drew historical comparisons to the Nazi era.
A protest action under the motto “We are the daughters” also took place in Berlin, which was organized by the “Together Against the Right” alliance. Signs displayed slogans such as “Racism is a problem in the cityscape,” while chants such as “We, we, we are the daughters” characterized the event. Environmental activist Luisa Neubauer was also critical of Merz's statements and described them as discriminatory.
Similar to Hamburg, a further increase in the number of participants is also expected in Berlin. While such protests are taking place in many cities, it remains to be seen what impact the discussion surrounding Merz's comments will have on the political landscape in Germany.
The Hamburg demonstration is expected to go smoothly and end around 2:30 p.m. However, the debate surrounding the Chancellor's statements will continue to cause unrest in the political scene.
The reporting on the events received attention not only in Hamburg, but also nationwide. Social media is already flooded with opinions and reactions to Merz's controversial statements.