Rioters Loot Shops in Frankfurt as German Gen Z Protests Turn Violent

Masked rioters smashed shop windows and looted stores in central Frankfurt on the evening of 31 October after daytime demonstrations organised by the youth campaign Gen Z regelt. Similar clashes occurred in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. Police reported the use of water cannon and the seizure of two weapons taken from a gun shop whose windows had been broken.

The campaign called for higher spending on schools, health and culture, relief from rising living costs, and opposition to any return of compulsory military service. Organisers said tens of thousands signed up across more than 30 cities. Police in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin put turnout in those three cities at roughly 18,000, about half the figure claimed by organisers. German media reported tens of thousands nationwide.

Daytime marches were largely peaceful. Placards included slogans such as “Our future is not for sale,” “Education, not bombs” and “Eat the rich.” A spokesperson for Gen Z regelt said the aim was to fight for peace and freedom rather than war and coercion. Violence began after dark when some groups refused to disperse. In Frankfurt, police said Molotov cocktails were thrown at emergency services and that a large section of the main shopping street was closed. A Reuters witness saw at least two stores looted; Bild reported that a trainer shop and a perfume store were also hit.

Hesse Interior Minister Roman Poseck said about 100 far-left activists had infiltrated the Frankfurt demonstration and were responsible for much of the violence. Police made multiple arrests. Several officers were injured. Barricades were set alight in Hamburg. In Cologne, officers were attacked with bottles and bicycles near the cathedral.

The German protests followed weeks of large youth-led demonstrations in France over schools, policing and living costs. In both countries the daytime events drew broad participation while evening disturbances involved smaller, masked groups. German authorities said they expected further mobilisation later in the month.

The gap between organiser estimates and police counts, and the rapid shift from peaceful marches to looting, leaves open how much of the evening violence was connected to the original campaign and how much was opportunistic. For city police the immediate task is securing commercial districts once demonstrations end; for the organisers the question is whether they can maintain the scale of the daytime turnout without the evening incidents defining the next round of coverage.