On the evening of October 31 local time, violent conflicts broke out in the center of Frankfurt, Germany, and several shops were looted. On that day, violent incidents caused by protests also occurred in major German cities such as Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg.
Earlier that day, thousands of protesters held relatively peaceful demonstrations in Frankfurt. The event was organized by the initiative group “Generation Z Takes Control,” with demands including opposition to insufficient school funding, protest against high living costs, reduction of public spending, and abolition of the military service.
Frankfurt police reported in the evening that “violent disturbances” were taking place in the city center, and special police forces had been deployed. The police said that protesters threw fireworks, stones, and glass bottles at emergency personnel, and used water cannons to disperse the crowd.
That evening, a large area of the main commercial street in Frankfurt was blocked by the police. The police said that many store windows were broken, and there were also instances of people throwing burning bottles at emergency responders. A large number of arrests were made in the city. From the night of that day to the early hours of the next day, the situation in the city gradually stabilized.
Local authorities stated that a gun store's display window was damaged, and after arresting a suspect, the police seized two weapons. Also, people broke into other stores and stole goods such as sports shoes.
Other cities in Germany also experienced similar conflicts after the demonstrations.
Cologne police said that officers were attacked near the main train station. Someone threw glass bottles at the police and also pushed bicycles. Berlin police reported that violent demonstrations during the evening resulted in 27 officers being injured, and a maximum of 56 people were detained temporarily. In Hamburg, people dressed in black set off fireworks and lit roadblocks, and a total of 120 people were arrested.
On November 1st, local time, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière said that the police, who worked overnight, prevented violent scenes of the magnitude that occurred in Paris several weeks ago. He also called for the imposition of ‘heavy penalties’ on those who caused the riots and carried out robberies.
According to statistics from the governments of Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin, the number of people participating in the demonstrations reached as many as 18,000, which is about half of the number estimated by the organizers on their official website. German media reported that tens of thousands of people participated in protests in several cities across Germany on Saturday. Organizer figures showed that the event covered 34 cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Munich, with approximately 120,000 people participating.
"Generation Z wants to be the leaders." Spokesperson Friedrich said that the purpose of the protest is "to strive for peace and freedom, not war and coercion," "We value healthcare and education systems most. We oppose compulsory military service and hope for fairer burden distribution.”
Frankfurt is located in the state of Hesse. The interior minister of Hesse, Boecke, said that about 100 "well-known left-wing extremists" infiltrated the local protest. The way in which the protest ended was "shameful."
We all remember the scene of what happened in France: robbery, arson, burning houses and police cars, attacks on police officers... The situation in France must never become our example. Posseck said.
Before the riots in Germany, France had already witnessed large-scale protests led by young people. On the same day, France saw its third consecutive weekend of protests, with over 320,000 people taking to the streets. Large demonstrations also took place in other parts of Europe.
France has deployed thousands of police officers to handle the demonstrations. Police officers in some cities used tear gas against protesters. After violent clashes in places like Toulouse, Lyon, and Marseille, more than 500 people were arrested. French Interior Minister Nounès said that a police officer was injured by burning bottles, and the French prosecution launched an investigation into attempted murder.
There were also protests on October 31 local time in Italy. Conflicts between police and demonstrators occurred in Rome and Turin. The previous day, demonstrations took place in more than 60 cities in Italy, protesting against rising living costs and increased military spending. Among these demonstrations, those in Rome, Milan, Genoa, Florence, and other cities were relatively large-scale.
In Portugal, protests were held in Lisbon and Porto, with thousands of people demonstrating against a housing rental law. They believed that the law would exacerbate the housing crisis, as housing prices in the country have doubled in ten years. After the protests, some people set up new tent camps, and the police quickly removed them.
On the same day, cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia in Spain deployed large numbers of police officers to implement strict security measures to prevent riots. According to a report by Spanish news agency Efe on the 30th, 10 people have been arrested in Spain recently for allegedly inciting riots through online channels, among whom 4 are minors.
According to the BBC, a large number of young people in Europe's countries such as France, Belgium, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Serbia, and Albania took to the streets. Although their demands vary from country to country, the focus of the protests is mostly on issues related to living costs, including access to housing, educational quality, and the reduction of public services.
