Frankfurt shops looted as German cost-of-living protests turn violent

Shops in central Frankfurt were looted and police used water cannon against protesters there and in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg late on Saturday, after mass demonstrations against the cost of living turned violent in Germany. Police said protesters threw fireworks, stones and bottles at emergency workers.

What happened in Frankfurt?

Frankfurt police said in a post on X that “violent riots” were taking place in the city centre. The windows of several shops were smashed and molotov cocktails were thrown at emergency services, the force said. Officials later said the windows of a gun shop had been smashed and that two weapons were seized after a suspect was arrested. A large section of Frankfurt’s main shopping street was closed off, AFP news agency reported, and a police spokesperson said many arrests were made in the city.

How many people joined the protests?

Authorities in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin reported as many as 18,000 protesters, roughly half the number the organisers had estimated on their website. German media reported that tens of thousands of people took part in demonstrations in German cities on Saturday.

The German protests followed similar youth-led mass demonstrations in France, where more than 320,000 people also demonstrated on Saturday.

Who organised the protests and what are they demanding?

The demonstrations were organised by the campaign group Gen Z regelt, which means “Gen Z takes charge”. The group protested against underfunding in schools, the high cost of living, public spending cuts and military service.

Gen Z regelt spokesperson Lina Friedrich said the demonstrations were “to fight for peace and freedom, rather than for war and coercion”. She said: “What matters most to us is better support for the health and education systems. We are against compulsory military service and we are in favour of a fairer distribution of the burden.”

Opposition to compulsory military service is among the group’s demands. In a separate development, the US approved a $2.1bn sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine.

What did Hesse’s interior minister say?

Roman Poseck, interior minister of Hesse state, of which Frankfurt is the largest city, said that “around 100 clearly identified left-wing extremists” had infiltrated the protest in Frankfurt. He added that it was “shameful” how the protests had ended.

Poseck said: “We all have those images from France in our minds – looting, burning houses, burning police vehicles, and attacks on police officers… France must not be held up as a model in this regard.”

Frequently asked questions

How many people protested in Germany on Saturday?

Authorities in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin reported as many as 18,000 protesters, roughly half the number the organisers had estimated on their website. German media reported tens of thousands of people demonstrating in cities across Germany.

Who is Gen Z regelt?

Gen Z regelt, which means “Gen Z takes charge”, is the campaign group that organised the German protests against underfunding in schools, the high cost of living, public spending cuts and military service.

Did the Frankfurt protests turn violent?

Frankfurt police said “violent riots” broke out in the city centre as night fell, with shop windows smashed and molotov cocktails thrown at emergency services. Police also reported clashes and the use of water cannon in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg.

What did Roman Poseck say about the protests?

The interior minister of Hesse state, Roman Poseck, said around 100 “clearly identified left-wing extremists” had infiltrated the Frankfurt protest and called the way the demonstrations ended “shameful”.

With reporting from BBC News.

Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)