Hooded rioters loot Frankfurt stores as Gen Z protests take place in 34 German cities

Frankfurt, Germany. Hooded rioters looted shops in Frankfurt late on Saturday, after tens of thousands of people demonstrated in major German cities to call for improved education and a lower cost of living.

Nationwide protests

The campaign group “Gen Z regelt”, which translates from German as “Gen Z takes charge”, organised demonstrations in 34 cities, among them Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. According to the group, it rejects compulsory military service and seeks higher spending on education, at a time when many young Germans are struggling with rising costs.

Related: Thousands join Gen Z-led protests across Germany over education and living costs

RelatedThousands join Gen Z-led protests across Germany over education and living costs

The marches came after a series of protests led by Gen Z across Europe this year. In Serbia, student-led activism contributed to the removal of the country’s longtime leader at the ballot box, while demonstrations in France have turned into rioting and looting.

Violence in Frankfurt

In Frankfurt, the country’s financial centre, protests turned violent. A Reuters witness reported that at least two stores were looted and several others damaged, while police worked to regain control of the situation.

Frankfurt police said on X that the disturbances were continuing, that windows had been broken at several shops in the city centre, and that Molotov cocktails were being thrown at emergency services. They asked bystanders to stay away from the city centre or leave it.

In Hamburg, some barricades were set on fire.

Turnout and official assessment

Official figures from Saturday afternoon indicated that attendance fell short of the 182,000 participants organisers had first anticipated. Police in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin counted up to 18,000 protesters, which is half of the roughly 36,000 figure given on the organisers’ website.

German authorities described the demonstrations, which fell on the same day as Halloween festivities, as mostly peaceful. They cautioned, however, that extremist groups were trying to take advantage of the movement.

Organisers’ demands

Speaking in Berlin on Saturday, Gen Z regelt spokesperson Lina Friedrich said the group was campaigning for peace and freedom rather than war and coercion. She added that the priority was better support for the health and education systems, that the group opposes compulsory military service, and that it favours a fairer sharing of the burden.