Masked Rioters Loot Frankfurt Stores as Gen Z Cost-of-Living Protests Turn Violent

Masked rioters smashed storefronts and looted goods late Saturday in Frankfurt, Germany, after a protest against the rising cost of living, police said.

The demonstrations were led by a youth initiative called "Gen Z regelt," roughly translated as "Gen Z's got this." It rallied people in more than 30 cities "for education, health, climate protection and an affordable life," and against any return of military conscription. Organizers said tens of thousands took part across the country. Official figures were not immediately available.

Earlier in the day, the rallies were largely peaceful. In Berlin, young protesters gathered at the Brandenburg Gate on Saturday afternoon and called for more investment in education and housing.

"We call for more money to be invested in social services and education, as well as in climate protection, in short, in our future, because we are the ones who will be affected by this the longest and who will have to live with it," said Lara Breitenbach, a high school student.

Janelle Schulz, another Berlin high school student, said her school is falling apart. "At my school, the ceiling is collapsing because of water damage, nothing is being done about it, we have a shortage of teachers, the toilets are broken," she said.

Tensions peaked in the evening when some groups refused to disperse, setting off clashes in major cities including Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. In Frankfurt's financial district, masked protesters hurled stones, fireworks and pepper bombs, according to police. Authorities said looters stole weapons from a gun store; police later recovered them. Frankfurt police said on X that some rioters threw Molotov cocktails at officers after pummeling them with stones and bottles earlier in the day.

In Hamburg, some protesters shot pyrotechnics toward police and burned barricades. Police responded with water cannons and tear gas to clear the crowds.

The violence is a sharp turn for a movement that billed itself as a peaceful push by young people over schools, health care, climate policy and prices. The mix of demands, from fixing school buildings to opposing a return of conscription, reflects frustration among younger Germans about their economic prospects and the country's security debate.

Police have not released a full tally of arrests or injuries. The organizers of Gen Z regelt had not publicly responded to the looting by Sunday, and officials were still assessing the damage to shops in Frankfurt's center. The recovery of the stolen weapons was the most urgent concern for police on Saturday night, and they said all of them were retrieved.