Gen Z Protests in Germany Turn Violent with Looting in Frankfurt and Clashes in Multiple Cities

Youth-led demonstrations across Germany on 31 October organized by the group Gen Z regelt turned violent in several cities after largely peaceful marches during the day. Rioters looted stores in central Frankfurt, smashed shop windows, and threw Molotov cocktails at emergency services.

Frankfurt police reported that windows were smashed at several shops in the city centre. Officers seized two weapons after arresting a suspect near a gun shop whose windows had been broken. A trainer shop and a perfume store were also targeted. Police urged bystanders to leave the area as disturbances continued into the night.

In Berlin, police said 27 officers suffered minor injuries and nearly 60 people were arrested. Similar clashes occurred in Cologne and Hamburg, where officers used water cannons to disperse groups that threw fireworks, stones, and bottles. A large section of Frankfurt’s main shopping street was cordoned off overnight.

The campaign group Gen Z regelt, which translates to Gen Z takes charge, called for demonstrations in 34 cities. Organizers demanded greater investment in education and healthcare, relief from rising living costs, and an end to plans for compulsory military service. Spokesperson Lina Friedrich said the group wanted to fight for peace and freedom rather than war and coercion, and for a fairer distribution of the burden.

Police estimates of turnout in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin reached as many as 18,000 participants, roughly half the number listed on the organizers’ website. Nationwide figures were not immediately available, though German media reported tens of thousands took part. The protests coincided with Halloween and followed large youth demonstrations in France in previous weeks.

Politicians and police attributed the evening violence to groups of masked and radical left-wing activists who refused to disperse. Placards carried slogans such as Education not bombs and Eat the rich. The unrest drew comparisons to recent events in France, where more than 300,000 people demonstrated on the same Saturday.

By early Sunday morning the situation had calmed in most cities, though police reported considerable property damage. No detailed national tally of arrests or injuries was released immediately. Local authorities continued to assess damage to shops and public infrastructure on 1 and 2 November.

The demonstrations highlighted ongoing concerns among younger Germans about education funding, housing costs, and the prospect of renewed military conscription. The shift from daytime marches to nighttime disturbances in financial and cultural centres underscored the challenges of managing large-scale youth mobilizations in multiple cities on the same day.

German interior ministers pledged a firm response to the rioting and looting. Further investigations into the attacks on shops and emergency workers remain underway in Frankfurt and other cities.