Frankfurt riots: European youths protest living costs and military service as looters target stores

Protests spread across Germany

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in more than 30 German cities on Saturday, including Berlin and Frankfurt. The campaign group Gen Z regelt, whose name means “Gen Z takes charge,” organized the protests.

Demonstrators called for lower living costs and better education. They also demanded spending on schools, climate protection and housing, and opposed plans to bring back mandatory military service.

Damage and fires reported

In Frankfurt, rioters looted stores and set fires to barricades. Police said shop windows had been smashed in the city centre and reported that Molotov cocktails were being thrown at emergency services.

Frankfurt police urged bystanders to avoid the city centre or leave the area. In Hamburg, some barricades were set alight, while some businesses had boarded up windows and doors ahead of the demonstrations.

Organizer explains demands

Gen Z regelt spokesperson Lina Friedrich spoke in Berlin on Saturday. She said the group was demonstrating for peace and freedom rather than war and coercion. Friedrich said better support for health and education systems was a priority. She also opposed compulsory military service and called for a fairer distribution of the burden.