Shops looted as German cost of living protests turn violent
Rioters looted shops in central Frankfurt late on Saturday as clashes erupted in German cities over the cost of living. Besides Frankfurt – Germany’s financial hub – there were incidents of violence in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg, with police saying they used water cannons to disperse protesters who were targeting emergency workers with fireworks, stones […] The post Shops looted as German cost…
Rioting erupted in German cities over the cost of living, leading to the looting of shops in central Frankfurt on Saturday night. Clashes also occurred in Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg, with police deploying water cannons to disperse protesters who targeted emergency workers with fireworks, stones, and bottles. Initially, thousands participated in largely peaceful demonstrations organized by Gen Z regelt, which aimed to protest against underfunded schools, high living costs, public spending cuts, and military service.
The unrest echoes similar youth-led mass protests in France, where over 320,000 people demonstrated on Saturday. On Sunday, Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned of "violence like that seen in Paris" and called for harsh punishments for rioters and looters. Frankfurt's main shopping street was closed off overnight, and a police spokesperson reported numerous arrests.
Authorities in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin claimed up to 18,000 protesters, roughly half of the estimated 50,000 participants on their website. Gen Z regelt spokesperson Lina Friedrich emphasized that the demonstrations sought "peace and freedom, rather than war and coercion." Overnight in Frankfurt, police reported "violent riots" with broken shop windows and Molotov cocktails thrown at emergency services.
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