Mass youth protests in Germany against the rising cost of living, problems in the education system, and social inequality ended with riots, looting, and clashes with the police. The most serious incidents occurred in Mainz, Frankfurt, and Cologne on the evening of Saturday, October 31, following largely peaceful demonstrations during the day, reports the dpa agency.
In Frankfurt, rioters smashed shop windows, looted goods, and threw Molotov cocktails at police officers. Among the targeted locations was a specialized weapons store. Police arrested several suspects and confiscated two weapons stolen from the store. Law enforcement used water cannons in the city center and involved special units. By midnight, more than a thousand security personnel were present at riot sites; about 30 people were detained.
Roman Poseck, the Interior Minister of the state of Hesse, stated that about 100 suspected far-left extremists participated in the clashes in Frankfurt in the evening. Several police officers were injured, one of whom sustained more serious injuries.
About 200 people took part in the riots near the famous cathedral in Cologne. Bottles and bicycles were thrown at police officers; one person was injured, and five were arrested. Clashes also occurred in Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen.
In Berlin, the police ended the evening demonstration early after attacks on officers and the use of fireworks. According to law enforcement, 27 officers were injured, and up to 56 protesters were temporarily detained. Riots broke out near the main railway station in Hamburg, where participants set construction fences on fire. Police in Bremen were hit with fists and feet.
Protests were held in more than 30 cities across Germany as part of the "Gen Z regelt" ("Generation Z Takes Matters into Their Own Hands") initiative. Organizers claimed there were over 100,000 participants nationwide, although police did not provide unified data on the number of protesters.
The youth demanded improvements in school education, relief from the rising burden of living costs, and greater social justice. Slogans included "Our future is not for sale," "Education, not bombs," and "Change the system, not the climate." Politicians and police attributed responsibility for the evening's violence to groups of radical left-wing activists.
