A day of mostly peaceful youth protests over the cost of living in Germany ended with masked rioters looting Frankfurt shops, a gun store among them, and throwing firebombs at emergency crews.
Story Highlights
- Police said windows were smashed at several Frankfurt shops and Molotov cocktails were thrown at emergency crews.
- A gun shop was looted; police arrested a suspect and seized two weapons, according to reports.
- Hesse’s interior minister said about 100 “clearly identified left-wing extremists” had slipped into the Frankfurt protest.
- The youth group behind the marches said it rejects violence.
Frankfurt’s Main Shopping Street Turns Into A Riot Scene
The trouble came on the night of Saturday, October 31, Halloween, after tens of thousands of young people marched in cities across Germany. They were protesting high living costs, run-down schools and government spending cuts. Many also oppose a new military service plan they fear could lead to a draft. A youth group called “GenZ regelt!”, which roughly means “Gen Z has got this,” organized the rallies. The marches were mostly peaceful during the day. Tensions rose in the evening, when some groups refused to leave.
Frankfurt, Germany’s banking center, saw the worst of it. Police said “violent riots” were taking place in the city center. “Windows have been smashed at several shops,” police said, and Molotov cocktails, which are bottles filled with fuel and set on fire, were thrown at emergency crews. Rioters also threw stones, fireworks and bottles. Police fired water cannons to push the crowds back. They closed off the Zeil, the city’s busiest shopping street, and told anyone not involved to leave the area.
Looters Hit A Gun Shop
Reporters at the scene saw people breaking into stores on the Zeil and carrying off sneakers and other goods. A sneaker shop and a perfume store were among those hit, according to reports. The most alarming target was a gun shop. Looters broke in and took weapons, according to authorities. Police arrested a suspect and seized two weapons, and the stolen guns were later recovered, according to reports. A police spokesman said many arrests were made in the city. Officials have not released a full count of arrests or of the shops that were damaged.
Several police officers were hurt across Germany as the night went on, according to reports. Clashes also broke out in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. In Hamburg, protesters burned barricades and fired fireworks at police, who answered with water cannons and tear gas. In Berlin, police said a separate evening protest that “GenZ regelt!” did not organize saw officers pelted with eggs and bottles.
Officials Blame Extremists, And Organizers Reject Violence
Roman Poseck, the interior minister of Hesse, the German state that includes Frankfurt, said about 100 “clearly identified left-wing extremists” had slipped into the Frankfurt protest. He called the way the night ended “shameful.” The head of a national police union said the youth protests themselves were “very peaceful.” He blamed the violence on “autonomous and, in some cases, masked individuals.” “GenZ regelt!” said it rejects violence and that racism and hate speech have no place in its movement.
The marches were inspired by youth protests in France and Italy, and France has seen violent weekends of its own. German officials had been in touch with French and Italian officials over fears that radicals from abroad could join the German rallies. For Americans, the scene is a familiar one. A large, mostly peaceful crowd gathered to make its case, and a smaller, masked group used the cover of that crowd to smash, steal and attack the very crews sent to keep people safe.
Sources:
kuwaittimes.com, afp.com, cnn.com, cbsnews.com
