Protests over the cost of living and public services drew crowds across Germany on Saturday. Most daytime gatherings were peaceful, but clashes broke out after dark in Frankfurt and other cities, where shops were damaged and looted. Demonstrators also raised concerns about education funding, government spending cuts and compulsory military service. The violence prompted police dispersal measures and put public order in focus for local authorities.
Frankfurt shops damaged as police make arrests
In Frankfurt, Germany’s financial centre, police reported violent unrest in the city centre. Shop windows were smashed, and emergency workers were attacked with fireworks, stones and bottles. Incendiary devices were also thrown at emergency services. Police later said the window of a gun shop had been broken; after arresting a suspect, officers seized two firearms. Police cordoned off a large section of a major shopping street, and a spokesperson said several people were arrested.
Violence was also reported in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. Police used water cannon to disperse some demonstrators. Authorities in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin put peak turnout at up to 18,000—about half the number estimated on the organisers’ website. German media reported that tens of thousands joined protests across several cities on Saturday.
The demonstrations were organised by the group “Gen Z regelt,” or “Gen Z takes over.” Spokesperson Lena Friedrich said protesters wanted to “fight for peace and freedom, not for war and compulsory service.” She said support for improving healthcare and education was a central demand. The organisers oppose compulsory military service and are calling for a fairer distribution of the burden.
Hesse Interior Minister Roman Poseck said about 100 identified left-wing extremists had joined the Frankfurt rally and criticised its violent outcome. He said unrest in France should not be treated as a model. Frankfurt police described the scenes in the city centre on X as “violent unrest.”
More than 320,000 rally across France
France saw its third consecutive weekend of large-scale protests on the same day. More than 320,000 people demonstrated nationwide over the high cost of living and the quality of public services, with education a particular concern. France deployed thousands of police officers to maintain order. Police used tear gas in some cities, and more than 500 people were arrested after clashes in Toulouse, Lyon and Marseille.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said an officer was injured by an incendiary device. Paris police said hundreds of rioters threw objects at security forces. As in Germany, the main grievances centred on public services and household costs, while clashes in some areas added to the demands on police and emergency services.
Clashes in Italy; Portugal protests rental bill
Demonstrators clashed with police during protests in Rome and Turin. In Portugal, thousands marched against a rental bill they said could worsen the housing crisis. Police cleared a newly established tent camp. Home prices in Portugal have more than doubled over the past decade.
Youth-led street protests have recently taken place in France, Belgium, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Serbia and Albania. The demands vary, but housing affordability, education, living costs and cuts to public services recur across countries. Saturday’s German protests began around similar social and economic concerns; in some cities, they ended with damaged shops, arrests and police dispersal operations.