Germany is engulfed by youth riots: broken windows, burning barricades, and dozens detained

In the largest cities of Germany, demonstrations by youth organized by the movement Gen-Z regelt ('Generation Z decides') escalated into riots by the evening of Saturday, October 31. In Frankfurt am Main, some protesters broke windows and clashed with police, in Berlin 56 people were detained for offenses, and in Cologne, law enforcement banned the march. In total, actions took place in more than 30 cities across Germany, with organizers reporting over 100,000 participants. Among the protesters' demands are improvements in education quality, measures against rising living costs, more active climate protection, easier access to psychotherapy, and assistance in treating addictions. Additionally, the organizers of the protests oppose the introduction of mandatory military service and cuts to social spending. **In Frankfurt, protesters stormed a gun shop** In Frankfurt am Main, the initially peaceful demonstrations involving 8,000 to 9,000 people turned into looting and attacks on police, including with Molotov cocktails. In particular, a group of aggressively inclined protesters managed to break into a gun shop as well as a clothing and sneaker store, Snipes. Two firearms were seized from the attackers at the first retail location. According to Hesse's Minister of the Interior Roman Poseck, the riots were instigated by 'about 100 violent left-wing extremists' who were among the demonstrators. Police checked the documents of approximately the same number of individuals, with over 30 people detained. As night fell, law enforcement managed to stop the riots—using water cannons, armored police vehicles, a helicopter, and drones. They had to block part of the city center. 'Those who behave like criminals in downtown Frankfurt place themselves outside of our society. We will thoroughly analyze the actions of the aggressors, the composition of the offenders' groups, and the course of events, after which we will draw appropriate conclusions,' stated Hesse's Prime Minister Boris Rhein. **In Berlin, 27 police officers were injured, and in Cologne, the march was canceled** In Berlin, one of the two major events, which gathered about 3,500 people, mostly from left-radical groups, turned into riots. Some demonstrators threw firecrackers at police, launched fireworks, and threw bottles. Additionally, participants damaged property and violated weapons laws, law enforcement noted. As a result, 56 people were detained, and 27 police officers sustained minor injuries. In Cologne, law enforcement prohibited protesters from holding a march, allowing only a rally at one location. The reason for this was the masks worn by some demonstrators and the use of pyrotechnics, which were also thrown at police. Due to this, at the end of the event, police used water cannons. In Hamburg, in the evening, some protesters built barricades and set them on fire, as well as threw bottles and stones at police. Similar protests ended in Stuttgart and Bremen. **Similar demonstrations are taking place in other European countries** The protests in Germany on October 31 became part of a wave of youth demonstrations that have recently spread to other European countries, particularly France, where protests in various cities escalated into riots and clashes with police, and Belgium. The situation is also complicated in Italy, where on October 30, according to organizers, more than one million people took to the streets. Earlier, after severe riots in Milan, the country's authorities ordered the deployment of 500 soldiers to maintain order in the city, reports Deutsche Welle.