More than 100 police officers were injured as mobs looted shops and clashed with security forces during Gen Z protests
Rioters who rampaged through Frankfurt following Gen Z protests on Saturday night were predominantly from migrant backgrounds, according to Roman Poseck, interior minister of the German state of Hesse.
Authorities said on Sunday that 54 people had been arrested after mobs ransacked shops in Germany’s financial capital and attacked police with bottles, stones and incendiary devices. More than 100 officers were injured, while 17 businesses were damaged, five of which were looted.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Poseck said he was “shocked” by the scale of the violence, adding that police had faced between 1,000 and 1,500 rioters. Those arrested were aged between 13 and 29, he said. Most were German citizens.
“In Frankfurt, an enormous wave of violence erupted involving left-wing extremists and violence-prone young people, most of them with migrant backgrounds,” the minister said.
“This group of perpetrators was predominantly made up of people with migrant backgrounds. And we must address that as well. There must be no false taboos here.”
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also accused “violent left-wing groups and troublemakers from migrant communities” of hijacking initially peaceful demonstrations, according to Bild.
“The rioters and looters will be identified and held accountable,” he said.
Immigration and crime have long been contentious issues in Germany, amid discontent over the rising cost of living and widespread dissatisfaction with Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), the second-largest party in the Bundestag, finished first in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in September, marking its first victories in those two states.
An October poll by Forsa found that 87% of Germans were dissatisfied with Merz’s performance, while just 11% were satisfied. The survey also showed that 61% of supporters of his own CDU/CSU alliance were unhappy with his leadership.
The riots in Frankfurt coincided with a broader wave of protests across Europe over rising living costs, housing shortages, and deteriorating public services. In France, demonstrators clashed with police in Paris during protests against government policies, while Spain and Italy have also seen demonstrations over housing costs, wages, and economic pressures.
