Shops looted as German cost of living protests turn violent

Rioters ransacked stores in central Frankfurt on Saturday night, and confrontations broke out with police in the city and across Germany after peaceful mass protests over the soaring cost of living. Besides Frankfurt, the financial center of Germany, similar violence erupted in Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg, with authorities alleging the use of water cannons to deter protesters who hurled fireworks, stones, and bottles at emergency responders.

Thousands of demonstrators participated in the protests organized by the Gen Z Takes Charge campaign to oppose underfunded schools, high living costs, public spending cuts, and military conscription. The unrest mirrors youthful-led mass protests in France, where over 320,000 people also took to the streets on Saturday. A significant section of Frankfurt’s main shopping avenue was cordoned off by police, reported AFP news agency.

Police officials in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin reported up to 18,000 protesters, roughly half of the estimated 30,000 according to organizers’ website. German media claim tens of thousands rallied in German cities on Saturday. Gen Z Takes Charge spokesperson Lina Friedrich emphasized that the demonstrations aimed to "fight for peace and freedom, rather than for war and coercion," highlighting priorities such as enhanced support for health and education systems, opposition to compulsory military service, and a more equitable burden distribution.

Although protests during the day were largely peaceful, the situation escalated into violent riots as night fell. Frankfurt police announced on X, "violent riots" occurred in the city center, stating that shop windows were shattered and Molotov cocktails were thrown at emergency services. Officials later revealed that a gun shop's windows were smashed, and two weapons were seized after arresting a suspect.

Roman Poseck, the interior minister of Hesse state, which includes Frankfurt, revealed that approximately 100 left-wing extremists infiltrated the protest. He decried the turn of events, saying, "We all have those images from France in our minds—looting, burning houses, burning police vehicles, and attacks on police officers… France must not be held up as a model in this regard."