Germany Arrests Over 200 After Gen Z Rallies Erupt in Violence
The disorder erupted in Hamburg, Frankfurt and Berlin when radical groups staged smaller rallies, built barricades and confronted officers.
The main daytime protests, organized by the Gen Z Regelt initiative in more than 30 cities, drew tens of thousands of young people. They demanded more money for education, relief from rising living costs and an end to plans to reinstate compulsory military service.
After nightfall, radical groups gathered in other parts of the cities and put up barricades, and the situation deteriorated once police moved in to contain them. Some activists hurled stones, bottles and firecrackers at officers, who responded with water cannons and special units at several locations.
Frankfurt: Firearms stolen in looting
Masked groups unconnected to the main Gen Z demonstrations smashed shop windows and looted businesses in Frankfurt, among them a gun store. Police said the attackers broke the store’s windows and took at least two firearms before officers stepped in. One suspect was arrested and the stolen weapons were recovered, according to police.
A police vehicle also had its windows smashed and its tires punctured. Authorities reported more than 30 provisional arrests and extensive property damage as the unrest continued into early Sunday.
Hamburg: 120 detained, 11 officers hurt
In Hamburg, violence broke out after the main demonstration ended at about 5 pm local time Saturday, police said. Authorities took 120 people into custody after black-clad, partially masked protesters set up burning barricades near the central bus station.
The groups pelted officers with stones, bottles and pyrotechnics, injuring 11, according to police. Smaller fires and disturbances persisted overnight in the city’s eastern districts.
Berlin: 56 detained, 27 officers injured
Berlin police temporarily detained up to 56 people during an evening demonstration in the Mitte district, separate from the earlier peaceful gathering at the Brandenburg Gate. Police said 27 officers suffered minor injuries as protesters threw stones, bottles, eggs and firecrackers. Demonstrators also blocked a tram, and authorities halted the march before it reached its planned destination.
Cologne: Clashes near the cathedral
In Cologne, police detained at least five people after smaller groups clashed with officers near the city’s cathedral, throwing bottles and pyrotechnics. Police Chief Johannes Hermanns condemned the violence, saying extremists had disrupted peaceful protests.
“It is sad that young people who wanted to demonstrate peacefully for their future were infiltrated by extremists who had nothing but violence in mind,” Hermanns said.
He thanked participants who stayed peaceful and distanced themselves from the violence.
By early Sunday, the situation had largely calmed in the affected cities, while police continued to investigate the incidents and assess property damage.
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