FRANKFURT, Germany — Masked rioters smashed storefronts and looted goods in Frankfurt late Saturday as youth-led protests over the cost of living turned violent in several German cities, CBS News reported.
The demonstrations were organized by a youth initiative called “Gen Z regelt,” roughly “Gen Z’s got this,” and drew crowds in more than 30 cities calling for spending on education, health and climate protection and opposing any return of military conscription. Organizers said tens of thousands took part.
In Frankfurt’s financial district, police said masked protesters threw stones, fireworks and pepper bombs. Looters stole weapons from a gun store, which police later recovered, and some rioters threw Molotov cocktails at officers, Frankfurt police said on X.
In Hamburg, protesters fired pyrotechnics at police and burned barricades, and police used water cannons and tear gas. Clashes were also reported in Berlin and Cologne.
Earlier in the day the protests were largely peaceful. In Berlin, students gathered at the Brandenburg Gate. “At my school, the ceiling is collapsing because of water damage,” high school student Janelle Schulz said.
Official crowd figures were not immediately available.
Sources: CBS News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Suburbia / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
