France, Germany witness fresh protests over education, cost of living; clashes, looting in Frankfurt

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in France and Germany as protests continued across Europe for another week. While France witnessed its third consecutive weekend of demonstrations, protests in Germany turned violent, with demonstrators looting shops and hurling petrol bombs at security personnel.

France witnesses clashes, hundreds arrested

The protests in France initially began last month, with high school students raising concerns over teacher shortages, poorly maintained school buildings and the university admissions system. However, the agitation soon gained momentum as labour unions and other groups joined the demonstrations, bringing several additional demands to the forefront.

On Saturday, protesters once again took to the streets across France for the third consecutive weekend, voicing their concerns over education and the rising cost of living, The Associated Press reported.

According to estimates released by the French government, around 3,20,000 people participated in demonstrations nationwide on Saturday. The turnout was lower than the estimated 5,50,000 protesters on October 17 and 4,10,000 on October 24, the report said.

However, protest organisers reportedly put the participation figures higher than the government's estimates. Their exact figures were not available at the time of publication.

The demonstration along the Boulevards des Maréchaux, the roads encircling the outskirts of Paris, was largely peaceful initially, with techno music playing and marchers participating in Halloween-themed trick-or-treating. However, tensions escalated near Porte de Charenton, where protesters hurled glass bottles and fireworks, prompting police to respond with stun grenades and tear gas.

French authorities said that more than 560 people had been arrested across the country by Saturday night, the AP reported.

German 'Gen Z' protests turn violent in Frankfurt

Masked demonstrators reportedly looted shops in Frankfurt on Saturday as thousands of people took to the streets across Germany to demand lower living costs and improvements in the education sector. The demonstrations were organised by the campaign group “Gen Z regelt” (German for “Gen Z takes charge”) and were held in 34 cities, including Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt, according to a Reuters report.

The group also opposed compulsory military service and called for greater investment in education, citing the rising cost of living faced by young people across Germany, the report added.

Rioters loot shops in Germany

Violence erupted in Frankfurt on Saturday when hooded protesters looted shops amid the demonstrations. Several police officers were injured during the clashes, which broke out as thousands of people participated in youth-led protests across Germany, AFP reported.

A suspect was arrested, and two weapons were seized, as per the police.

"In the city center area, windows of several shops have been smashed. Additionally, Molotov cocktails were also being thrown at emergency forces. We urge all uninvolved individuals to avoid or leave the city center area," Frankfurt police said on X.

Barricades were set ablaze in Hamburg, while clashes also erupted between protesters and authorities in Berlin and Cologne.

According to Reuters, police estimated that around 18,000 people participated in demonstrations in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin, approximately half the 36,000 participants claimed by organisers on their website.