Shops looted in Frankfurt as Gen Z cost-of-living protests turn violent - The News International

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated across more than 30 cities in Germany under the banner of the youth-led campaign "Gen Z regelt!" to demand relief from high living costs, better funding for education and public infrastructure, and opposition to compulsory military service.

Demonstrations sweeping Europe are inspiring young Germans frustrated by rising costs of living amid military spending and conscription.

The situation turned particularly destructive in Frankfurt, Germany's financial hub, where police faced violent riots in the city center.

While most daytime demonstrations remained largely peaceful, tensions escalated sharply as darkness fell, leading to severe civil unrest and violent clashes in major urban centers.

Masked groups smashed shop windows and looted several retail stores, including a local gun shop—from which weapons were temporarily stolen before police recovered them and arrested a suspect—alongside a perfume store and a trainer shop.

Rioters hurled stones, fireworks, and Molotov cocktails directly at emergency personnel and police officers, prompting law enforcement to deploy water cannons and pepper spray to regain control of the area.

Similar violent flare-ups, burning barricades, and attacks on security forces were reported in cities such as Hamburg, Cologne, and Berlin.

As reported, Mainstream organizers of the movement strongly condemned the violence, asserting that opportunistic rioters and extremist elements co-opted the evening gatherings.

German authorities and political leaders expressed heavy concern over the destruction, drawing comparisons to youth-led unrest seen in other parts of Europe.

Police recorded numerous criminal offenses and multiple arrests, while the movement's organizers announced plans for further mobilization later in the month.

U.S President Donald Trump  also expressed his concerns while posting on social media.

The protests were organized by a loose alliance called "Gen Z Regelt" and by Saturday morning, nearly 180,000 people across 34 cities had signed up to participate–with the main host cities including Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich and the capital Berlin.

German police said around 5,000 people protested in Berlin, while the alliance posted on social media that some 10,000 people took part.

Nationwide, the organizers said more than 100,000 protested, German news agency dpa reported.