Shops were looted and clashes erupted between police and protesters in central Frankfurt and other German cities late Saturday as demonstrations over the cost of living turned violent.
Police used water cannons to disperse crowds in Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. In Frankfurt, rioters smashed shop windows, threw molotov cocktails at emergency services, and broke into stores to steal trainers and other items. Police said windows of a gun shop were smashed and seized two weapons after arresting a suspect. Frankfurt police deployed special units as violence spread through the city centre overnight into Sunday.
Thousands participated in largely peaceful daytime protests organised by Gen Z regelt, a campaign group. The demonstrations called for better school funding, action on the cost of living, protection against public spending cuts and opposition to military service. Authorities recorded as many as 18,000 protesters across Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin, roughly half the organisers' estimate.
Roman Poseck, interior minister of Hesse state, said "around 100 clearly identified left-wing extremists" had infiltrated the Frankfurt protest. Police reported many arrests in the city, though no specific number was given.
Violence also occurred in other German cities. In Cologne, officers were attacked near the main train station with bottles and a bicycle. Berlin police said 27 officers were injured and up to 56 people temporarily detained after evening clashes. Hamburg reported 120 arrests after demonstrators dressed in black set barricades on fire.
Gen Z regelt spokesperson Lina Friedrich said the demonstrations aimed "to fight for peace and freedom, rather than for war and coercion" and stressed the group's focus on health and education support.
Similar youth-led protests took place across Europe on Saturday. In France, more than 320,000 people demonstrated in a third consecutive weekend of largely peaceful marches over cost-of-living and public service concerns. Clashes in French cities resulted in more than 500 arrests. Protests also occurred in Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Ireland, Spain, Greece, Serbia and Albania, with demonstrators focusing on housing access, education quality and public service cuts.