Late on Saturday night, rioters looted shops on Frankfurt’s main shopping street, sparking clashes with police that spread to Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. The unrest followed a largely peaceful day of demonstrations organised by Gen Z regelt, a campaign group meaning “Gen Z takes charge,” which called for better support for health and education, an end to compulsory military service and a fairer distribution of public spending.
Police in Frankfurt used water cannons to disperse protesters who targeted emergency workers with fireworks, stones and bottles. The city’s police spokesperson said many arrests were made and that the windows of several shops had been smashed. A gun shop’s windows were also broken, and two weapons were seized after a suspect was arrested.
Interior Minister Roman Poseck of Hesse, the state that includes Frankfurt, said about 100 left‑wing extremists had infiltrated the protest and described the outcome as “shameful.” He warned that France’s recent looting and burning should not be used as a model.
Across Germany, authorities in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin reported as many as 18,000 protesters, roughly half of what organisers had estimated. German media said tens of thousands took part in demonstrations on Saturday.
The German protests coincided with large‑scale demonstrations in France, Italy, Portugal and other European countries, where thousands rallied over high living costs and cuts to public services. In France, more than 320,000 people marched, and police fired tear gas in several cities, resulting in over 500 arrests.
While the day’s protests were largely peaceful, the night saw a surge in violence, with Molotov cocktails thrown at emergency services and police in several cities. The unrest underscores a growing wave of youth‑led activism across Europe, focused on cost‑of‑living issues, housing, education and public spending.
Police are continuing investigations into the incidents, and authorities have urged calm as they assess the impact of the protests on public safety and commerce.
