Masked rioters broke shopfronts and stole goods in Frankfurt late Saturday as demonstrations over the rising cost of living in Germany gave way to violence in several major cities. The unrest followed protests that had remained largely peaceful earlier in the day, with participants calling for investment in public services and more affordable living.
The youth initiative Gen Z regelt, whose name roughly means "Gen Z's got this," led demonstrations in more than 30 cities. Its demands included support for education, health and climate protection, alongside an affordable life. The initiative also opposed any return of military conscription. Organizers put nationwide participation at tens of thousands, although official attendance figures were not immediately available.
Tensions intensified during the evening when some groups of protesters would not disperse. Clashes and violence occurred in cities including Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. In Frankfurt's financial district, police said masked protesters threw stones, fireworks and pepper bombs as the unrest unfolded.
Frankfurt authorities also reported that looters took weapons from a gun store. The weapons were subsequently recovered. In a post on X, Frankfurt police said some rioters threw Molotov cocktails at officers after attacking them with stones and bottles earlier in the day.
In Hamburg, protesters directed pyrotechnics toward police and burned barricades. Officers used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. Those confrontations contrasted with the largely peaceful demonstrations held earlier on Saturday, before tensions rose in the evening.
Young demonstrators gathered at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on Saturday afternoon to demand greater spending on education and housing. Their calls reflected the broader protest demands for more investment in services and measures to make life affordable.
High school student Lara Breitenbach said protesters wanted more funding for social services, education and climate protection. She described those areas as investments in young people's future, saying they would experience the effects for the longest time and would have to live with the consequences.
Another Berlin high school student, Janelle Schulz, also urged authorities to spend more on education. She pointed to conditions at her own school, saying water damage was causing the ceiling to collapse and that nothing was being done about it. She also reported a shortage of teachers and broken toilets.
