In Germany, demonstrations bring together 120,000 people on Saturday, the political class denounces violence

They wanted to denounce the poverty of schools, the rising cost of living, the possible reintroduction of military service and global warming. The demonstrations of the collective 'GenZ regelt' ('Generation Z takes care of it'), organized in dozens of cities in Germany, generally took place calmly on Saturday October 31, before tensions erupted in the evening. According to organizers, some 120,000 demonstrators took to the streets across the country.

In Frankfurt, between 1,000 and 1,500 people clashed with police, with masked rioters ransacking several businesses and looting some, the Interior Minister of the Hesse region said at a press conference on Sunday. In total, 54 people were arrested, aged between 13 and 29, 'mostly of German nationality'. “Well over 100 police officers were injured, including one seriously who lost teeth following a stone thrown in the face,” added the same source.

These 'excesses of violence' are 'totally unacceptable', reacted on X Boris Rhein, Minister-President of Hesse. Violence also arose in other cities in Germany, such as Cologne and Hamburg. In Berlin, the authorities reported 'numerous crimes' leading to 56 arrests and 27 police officers lightly injured.

The German Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, told the tabloid Bild that 'violent outbursts like those which took place in Paris' could 'have been avoided'. He accused 'violent-prone left-wing groups and migrant troublemakers' of having 'hijacked the afternoon's peaceful demonstrations', calling for 'severe sanctions' against those responsible. The co-president of the far-right AfD party also pointed to 'left-wing extremism' and 'uncontrolled migration' at X.