Frankfurt News & Analysis

German Protests Over Cost of Living See Looting, 18,000 Demonstrators

Rioters looted shops in central Frankfurt late on Saturday during protests over the cost of living. Clashes with police also occurred in Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg. Police used water cannons to disperse protesters who targeted emergency workers with fireworks, stones, and bottles. Authorities reported up to 18,000 protesters in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin, about half the number anticipated by organisers. The demonstrations were organised by the group Gen Z regelt, which focuses on issues including underfunding in schools, the high cost of living, public spending cuts, and opposition to compulsory military service. The protests included calls for better support for health and education systems and a fairer distribution of economic burdens. The unrest in Germany follows similar youth-led mass protests in France on the same day involving over 320,000 people. The violence and looting resulted in police making many arrests, and a large shopping street in Frankfurt was closed off for security.