Gen Z regelt: 34 German cities see mass protests as Frankfurt stores looted
Rioters smashed windows and threw Molotov cocktails in the financial hub while tens of thousands marched in 34 cities across the country.
By Alina Carter ·
Hooded rioters looted at least two stores in Frankfurt late Saturday as protests turned violent in Germany's financial hub. Police reported that windows were smashed at several shops and that protesters threw Molotov cocktails at emergency services. The force urged bystanders to avoid the city center or leave the area immediately.
The unrest occurred as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in 34 cities, including Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg. The march was organized by the campaign group Gen Z regelt, which translates to Gen Z takes charge. Participants demanded lower living costs, greater investment in education, and an end to compulsory military service.
Organizers initially expected 182,000 participants. Official police counts from Saturday afternoon suggested turnout was lower. Authorities in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin reported as many as 18,000 protesters in those locations, which is half the roughly 36,000 listed on the organizers' website.
German authorities described the demonstrations as largely peaceful on the whole, though they warned that extremist groups were trying to exploit the movement. The federal interior ministry said parts of the far-left extremist scene and groups linked to foreign movements had mobilized support. Roman Poseck, the interior minister for the state of Hesse, referenced recent unrest in France.
"We all have those images from France in our minds, looting, burning houses, burning police vehicles, and attacks on police officers," Poseck said. He added that France must not be held up as a model for the current protests in Germany.
Businesses in several cities boarded up windows and planned early closures. This included shops along the Kurfuerstendamm shopping boulevard in Berlin. In Hamburg, some barricades were set on fire during the events. The timing of the protests coincided with Halloween festivities, which may have influenced the number of people in public spaces.
Lina Friedrich, a spokesperson for Gen Z regelt, spoke in Berlin on Saturday. She stated that the group fights for peace and freedom rather than war and coercion. She emphasized the need for better support for health and education systems and a fairer distribution of the burden. An 18-year-old speaker in Munich, named Steve, criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz for making cuts and ignoring the concerns of young people.
The national school student umbrella organization, BSK, distanced itself from the initiative. BSK plans to hold a separate day of protest on November 20. Questions have also been raised about who drives the campaign, given the broad mix of political and civil society groups involved. Sean Baker, a student at the Technical University of Berlin, joined the march to highlight the poor state of his campus buildings, which he described as looking like an abandoned building.
