Hooded rioters looted shops in Frankfurt late on Saturday as tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through Germany’s largest cities. They were calling for better education and lower living costs, and the rally turned violent in several places.
The protests came after a series of youth-led demonstrations across Europe this year. In Serbia, student activism helped remove the country’s long-serving leader at the ballot box, while protests in France have slid into riots and looting.
Gen Z protests spread to 34 German cities
The demonstrations were organised by the campaign group “Gen Z regelt”, which translates as “Gen Z takes charge”. Events were held in 34 cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich.
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The group opposes compulsory military service and wants more public money spent on education. Its organisers say many young Germans are struggling with rising costs.
Frankfurt shops looted as violence breaks out
In Frankfurt, which is the country’s financial hub, at least two stores were looted once the protests turned violent. Several other shops were damaged, and police were working to bring the situation under control, according to a witness at the scene.
Frankfurt police posted on X that the disturbances were continuing. “In the city centre, windows have been smashed at several shops,” the force said. It added that Molotov cocktails were being thrown at emergency services and urged bystanders to avoid the centre or leave the area.
In Hamburg, some barricades were set on fire. Some businesses in several cities had already boarded up their windows and brought forward their closing times over fears of unrest, including on Berlin’s luxury Kurfuerstendamm boulevard.
Turnout falls short of organisers’ expectations
Official figures released on Saturday afternoon showed fewer people than the 182,000 the organisers had initially expected. Police in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin put the number at as many as 18,000, roughly half of the 36,000 figure given on the organisers’ website.
German authorities said the demonstrations, which coincided with Halloween celebrations, had been largely peaceful. They also warned that extremist groups were trying to exploit the movement.
The federal interior ministry said parts of Germany’s far-left extremist scene, along with some groups tied to foreign extremist movements, had joined efforts to mobilise support.
Roman Poseck, interior minister of the state of Hesse, whose capital is Frankfurt, drew a comparison with France. “We all have those images from France in our minds,” he said, citing looting, burning houses and attacks on police officers. “France must not be held up as a model in this regard.”
Young protesters voice anger over cuts and burdens
Organisers say they are responding to mounting pressure on younger generations in Europe’s largest economy. Germany has struggled to revive economic growth, and it faces growing strain on pensions and public services as baby boomers retire and the working-age population shrinks.
Steve, an 18-year-old due to speak at a rally in Munich, addressed Chancellor Friedrich Merz directly. “The government has offered no response to our concerns other than to continue making cuts and piling further burdens upon us,” he said.
Gen Z regelt spokesperson Lina Friedrich said in Berlin that the group was there “to fight for peace and freedom, rather than for war and coercion”. She added that “better support for the health and education systems” mattered most to the group.
Questions have been raised about who is driving the campaign and whether it is genuinely youth-led, given the mix of political and civil society groups involved. Germany’s national school student umbrella organisation, BSK, has distanced itself from the initiative and plans a separate day of protest on November 20.
Sean Baker, a student at the Technical University of Berlin, said he planned to join Saturday’s protests to highlight the poor condition of campus buildings. “When you go inside and enter the rooms, it looks like an abandoned building,” he told a news agency.
