Riots and looting erupted in several German cities on Saturday evening after largely peaceful youth-led protests against the high cost of living descended into chaos. Masked rioters smashed shop windows, threw Molotov cocktails at police and emergency services, and looted stores in Frankfurt, with similar incidents reported in Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg.

Police deployed water cannons to disperse crowds in multiple locations. In Frankfurt, the financial hub, rioters damaged 17 businesses and looted five of them on the city's main shopping street. A gun shop was among the targets, and authorities seized two weapons. Over 100 police officers were injured in the city, including one seriously after being struck in the face by a stone. Fifty-four people, aged 13 to 29, were detained.

Hesse state Interior Minister Roman Poseck, a Christian Democrat, described an "enormous potential for violence on the part of left-wing extremists and violence-prone young people, mostly from migrant backgrounds." He estimated 1,000 to 1,500 violent troublemakers were involved and noted that addressing the issue of migrant offenders was essential without false taboos. Most detainees were German nationals.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt blamed "violent left-wing groups and troublemakers from migrant communities" for hijacking the afternoon demonstrations organized by the youth campaign group Gen Z regelt. The protests focused on underfunded schools, public spending cuts, and opposition to compulsory military service. Organizers had expected larger crowds than the roughly 18,000 reported across major cities.

In Berlin, 27 officers suffered minor injuries and nearly 60 people were detained. Cologne police reported attacks with fireworks and bottles near the cathedral. Hamburg saw construction barricades set on fire. Conservative politicians called for swift identification of perpetrators and severe penalties.

The unrest followed similar youth protests in France the previous month. Officials emphasized that the majority of demonstrations remained peaceful until extremists infiltrated them after dark.