Frankfurt [Germany], November 1 (ANI): The youth-led protests in Frankfurt, Germany, turned violent, with looting in shops reported, according to DW News.
Disturbances were also reported in Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne amid the protests under the banner of “Gen Z regelt” (Gen Z takes charge) against the rising cost of living in the country.
According to Euronews, police used water cannons to extinguish fires.
As per DW News, more than 100 police officers were injured amid the violence in Frankfurt. Police took 54 people into custody.
Hesse state premier Boris Rhein condemned the violence, stating that the people responsible would face consequences.
According to Roman Poseck, the interior minister in the state of Hesse, where Frankfurt is located, 1,000 to 1,500 protesters indulged in violence and were “predominantly from a migrant background.”
He said, “An enormous potential for violence on the part of left-wing extremists and violence-prone young people, mostly from migrant backgrounds, has been unleashed.”
Cologne state Interior Minister Herbert Reul also blamed the far left for the violence. “Anyone who throws rocks and firecrackers at police officers, sets off fireworks, and rampages through the streets has no political agenda. People who cover their faces don’t want to discuss or persuade. They want trouble and violence. There’s no justification for that,” he said in a statement.
On Saturday, the protesters took to the streets under the banner of campaign group “Gen Z regelt” (Gen Z takes charge). As per France24, the protesters oppose compulsory military service and demand more investment in education amid inflation.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt was briefed yesterday in the Federal Ministry of the Interior’s situation centre regarding the nationwide protests. As per the ministry, he thanked the emergency services for their work.
Currently, there is a wider wave of youth-led demonstrations across Europe, with protesters raising concerns over the cost of living, declining educational facilities, social inequality and diminishing economic prospects. (ANI)
