Students took to the streets Friday to protest a German government plan to attract more military recruits.

Germany is trying to boost the ranks of its armed forces in the face of rising concern about a threat posed by Russia.

The plan stops short of reintroducing conscription, though it leaves open the possibility of compulsory service for at least a limited number should the need arise.

“People are out on the streets in over 90 cities demonstrating against compulsory military service,” said one student as he attended a protest in Hamburg.

“A very large number of people in Germany who are in school are against compulsory military service.”

Parliament’s lower house, the Bundestag, approved the plan by 323 votes to 272, with one abstention.

It’s a modified version of a plan that Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Cabinet approved in August.

Germany suspended conscription for men in 2011 and has subsequently struggled to attract large numbers of short-term volunteers.

In recent years, the number of military personnel has hovered just above 180,000 — compared with 300,000 people in 2001, more than a third of whom were conscripts.

Now the government wants to raise the figure to 260,000 over the next decade.

The plan approved Friday foresees more attractive pay and conditions for people who join up on a short-term basis, better training and more flexibility on how long people can serve, starting from a minimum of six months.

Many in Merz’s governing conservative bloc think that conscription will ultimately be needed.

From January 2027, the Defense Ministry will be required to report to parliament every six months on recruitment figures.