Gen Z group plans new protests after Frankfurt looting

Masked rioters looted shops in central Frankfurt late on Saturday, October 31, after protests organized by the youth movement Gen Z regelt. The rallies had been largely peaceful during the day. Rioters threw Molotov cocktails at emergency workers, and police clashed with crowds in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. The protests took place in 34 cities, and turnout fell short of the 182,000 people organizers had first expected.bbc.com+1

Night of rioting

In Frankfurt, rioters smashed shop windows and took sneakers and other goods. A gun store was also broken into, and police later recovered two weapons. "In the city centre, windows have been smashed at several shops. Molotov cocktails are also being thrown at the emergency services," Frankfurt police said on X. More than 1,000 officers were on duty, including special forces. Police sealed off the Zeil shopping street and detained more than 30 people. Around 1 a.m. they held a group of about 100 people to check their identities.sueddeutsche.de+2

Police in Hamburg and Cologne used water cannon against people throwing fireworks, stones and bottles. Officers in Leipzig used pepper spray, and an officer in Bonn suffered minor injuries. Around 200 people were involved in disturbances near Cologne's cathedral. A Cologne police spokeswoman said the looting there was more likely linked to Halloween celebrations than to the protests.france24.com+1

Blame and fallout

Roman Poseck, Hesse's interior minister, said "around 100 clearly identified left-wing extremists" had infiltrated the Frankfurt protest. He called the way it ended "shameful". Hesse's state premier, Boris Rhein, said the violence "will not remain without consequences." Police called the property damage "considerable".dw.com+1

The organizers distanced themselves from the riots. "We did not have any influence on what happened after the demonstrations," a spokesperson said. The group said around 120,000 people took part. Police figures from Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin added up to about 18,000, roughly half of the 36,000 the campaign's website listed for those cities.moneycontrol.com+1

What protesters want

The movement wants more money for schools, health care and psychotherapy, plus action on living costs. It also opposes compulsory military service. Supporters fear the government's new voluntary service model is a step toward bringing back conscription. Some marchers carried signs reading "Merz must go," a reference to Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The protests followed similar youth-led demonstrations in France, where more than 320,000 people marched the same day.bbc.com+2

Berlin student Janelle Schulz described conditions at her school. "The ceiling is collapsing because of water damage, nothing is being done about it, we have a shortage of teachers, the toilets are broken," she said. Gen Z regelt has called for another round of protests on November 14.dw.com+1