Germany’s youth protests followed by night of unrest, more than 200 detained
More than 200 people were detained as overnight violence followed largely peaceful youth protests across Germany, with shops looted and dozens of police officers injured, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Tens of thousands of young people joined demonstrations organized by the Gen Z Regelt initiative in more than 30 cities Saturday. They demanded greater investment in education, relief from rising living costs and opposed plans to revive compulsory military service.
According to Anadolu’s report citing police, clashes broke out in several cities after the main gatherings ended, with groups erecting barricades and throwing stones, bottles and pyrotechnics at officers.
In Frankfurt, masked groups separate from the main demonstrations smashed shop windows and looted businesses, including a gun store. At least two firearms were stolen before police arrested a suspect and recovered the weapons. Authorities reported more than 30 provisional arrests and extensive property damage.
In Hamburg, police took 120 people into custody after groups erected burning barricades near the central bus station. Eleven officers were injured.
Berlin police temporarily detained up to 56 people during an evening demonstration separate from the earlier peaceful gathering at the Brandenburg Gate. Twenty-seven officers sustained minor injuries. Police halted the march after demonstrators threw objects at officers and blocked a tram.
Cologne police said in an official statement that officers used water cannons after coming under attack following the end of a rally. One officer suffered a hand injury and could not continue working.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart police reported that around 6,000 people attended a demonstration in the city. Five officers sustained minor injuries, and several suspects were temporarily detained. Police said some people threw bottles, stones and pyrotechnics at officers after the rally ended, prompting the use of pepper spray.
By early Sunday, the situation had largely calmed across the affected cities, while investigations and damage assessments continued.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that around 15,000 people took part in protests across France on Saturday, with 27 arrests recorded by 2 p.m. local time. France’s Interior Ministry described the situation nationwide as generally calm during the third consecutive weekend of demonstrations.