Germany blames migrants and leftists as ‘Gen Z’ protests turn violent

Tens of thousands of people participated in protests against the cost of living and deteriorating public services across France and Germany on Saturday. While demonstrations in both countries were described as mostly peaceful or largely orderly earlier in the day, violence eventually erupted. In Germany, clashes occurred in Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg. Following the unrest, ministers have threatened tough penalties for looters.

In France, approximately 320,000 people participated in about 150 demonstrations, according to the country's interior ministry. In Paris, 70,000 people marched on the outskirts of the city, with some wearing Halloween costumes. The protests turned violent when masked groups threw paving stones at police, who responded with baton charges and teargas.

Other incidents involving water cannons were reported in Marseille, Lyon, and Toulouse. The French interior ministry reported 565 arrests, and four police officers and one gendarme were injured in the capital.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, BBC World, MercoPress — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.