Thousands of Germans join Europe's 'Gen-Z' protests

Thousands of mostly young demonstrators, some dressed in Halloween costumes such as witches and clowns, took to the streets for rallies in Germany, France, and Italy. In France, approximately 320,000 people participated in nationwide demonstrations regarding education and living costs, leading French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to warn of a high risk of disorder after dark. RFI English reported that police in Paris used tear gas following clashes at the end of a march.

In Germany, the group "GenZ regelt!" organized protests in dozens of cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Hamburg. While demonstrations were mostly peaceful, tensions rose in the evening in several locations. Dawn reported that police deployed thousands of officers and used a water cannon in Cologne to disperse a crowd after protesters targeted officers with fireworks.

In Hamburg, Bild reported that protesters set barricades ablaze and threw bottles and eggs, while police used pepper spray in some areas. In Frankfurt, a march was temporarily halted due to fireworks.

Brief written by urgent.news from Le Monde English, Dawn, NPR, RFI English — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.