Cost-of-living protests in Germany turn violent, with shops looted in Frankfurt
Clashes with police broke out in several German cities on Saturday night after largely peaceful cost-of-living protests, and shops were looted in Frankfurt. The demonstrations were organised by the youth campaign group Gen Z regelt.
Rioters looted shops in Frankfurt, Germany's financial hub, late on Saturday, and clashes with police broke out there and in other German cities. The unrest followed largely peaceful nationwide protests over the cost of living, organised by the youth campaign group Gen Z regelt, which means "Gen Z takes charge".
Violence in several cities
Violence was also reported in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. Police said they used water cannon to disperse protesters who had targeted emergency workers with fireworks, stones and bottles.
Police closed off a large section of Frankfurt's main shopping street, according to the AFP news agency. A police spokesperson said many people had been arrested in the city.
Aims and turnout
Thousands of people had joined the demonstrations earlier in the day. The protesters were demonstrating against underfunding in schools, the high cost of living, public spending cuts and military service.
Authorities in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin reported as many as 18,000 protesters. That is roughly half the figure the organisers had given on their website.
Gen Z regelt spokesperson Lina Friedrich said the demonstrations were meant to fight for peace and freedom rather than for war and coercion. She said better support for the health and education systems matters most to the group, which opposes compulsory military service and favours a fairer distribution of the burden.
Similar protests in France
The unrest in Germany follows similar youth-led mass protests in France, where more than 320,000 people also demonstrated on Saturday.
