Thousands of young people marched in 34 German cities on October 31 for better schools, lower living costs and no conscription. Clashes with police broke out in Frankfurt, Cologne and Berlin in the evening.4 min readNov 1, 2026 10:39 AM IST First published on: Nov 1, 2026 at 10:39 AM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookA person smashes the window of a gun shop during riots in the city center of Frankfurt. (Photo: AP)Protesters clashed with police in several German cities, as thousands of young people took part in demonstrations in 34 cities. They called for more money for education, lower living costs and no compulsory military service, at a time when the government is raising defence spending. The marches were calm for most of the day. Riots, looting and attacks on officers broke out in the evening, mainly in Frankfurt and Cologne.Crowds gather in 34 citiesThe protests were organised by a loose alliance called Gen Z Regelt, which means “Gen Z sorts it”. By Saturday morning, nearly 180,000 people had signed up to take part, Al Jazeera said. Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich and Berlin were the main host cities.Young woman VIOLENTLY SHOVED by GERMAN POLICE in Hamburg as Gen Z protests TAKE A VIOLENT TURN Comes after largely ‘PEACEFUL’ daytime demonstrations, with RIOTS & LOOTING reported across MULTIPLE cities AFTER DARK https://t.co/7XCfWUaphG— RT (@RT_com) November 1, 2026In Berlin, crowds met at the Platz des 18 Maerz, next to the Brandenburg Gate. Police put the turnout at about 5,000. The alliance said 10,000 came. Organisers told the news agency dpa that more than 100,000 people joined in across the country.What exactly the protesters wantThe organisers named six key issues, including the rising cost of living, cuts to education and military conscription. Students told Al Jazeera they are angry that money goes to the army while schools and universities lose funding.Veronika Dinter, a 23-year-old political science student, travelled from Hannover on Friday night. She said she took a part-time job to pay for her studies. “This crisis is the political failure of our government,” she said, accusing Chancellor Friedrich Merz of putting billions of euros into the military. Emma Heymann, 24, a student in Berlin, said her generation is angry about the cuts to their quality of life.Complete CHAOS in Germany’s Frankfurt as COPS CHARGE RIOTERS — ‘Gen Z’ protest turns VIOLENT https://t.co/6kA8OtT4NB— RTVisual (@RT_Visual_on_X) October 31, 2026Kilian Hampel, a researcher at the University of Konstanz, said the anger has built up for years. He said the German marches are part of a wave across Europe, and that many of the concerns about schools and universities are valid. Similar protests have taken place in France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Serbia in recent weeks.Violence in Frankfurt, Cologne and BerlinThe day was mostly peaceful, but the mood changed after dark. In Frankfurt, police broke up a demonstration, and rioters then smashed shop windows, looted stores and set fires. Police said people threw Molotov cocktails at officers. They closed Die Zeil, one of the busiest shopping streets in Germany, and told bystanders to leave. A gun shop was also targeted. Police said about 30 people were taken into custody.Story continues below this adA person dressed in a Batman costume stands in front of a burning trash dumpster in downtown Frankfurt. (Photo: AP)In Cologne, about 200 people were involved in disorder near the cathedral. Bottles and bicycles were thrown at officers, one person was hurt and five were detained. The regional broadcaster WDR said groups other than Gen Z marchers took part. Cologne police chief Johannes Hermanns said “extremists who had nothing but violence in mind” had overshadowed the peaceful protests.Most Read1US midterm elections 2026: Election Day date, polling hours, results and when to expect winners2US Midterm Elections Highlights: What early voting data shows3US midterms: How a Congress flip in the election could affect India, H-1B visas and trade4Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei warns US, Israel of response ‘without geographic limits’5Israel Election Results 2026: Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc wins 53 seats in Israel election, opposition secures 676Flydubai attack: Late cricketer’s son among pilots who landed jet after Indian captain’s fightIn Berlin, police ended an evening demonstration after officers were hit with stones and fireworks were set off. Police said 27 officers had minor injuries and up to 56 protesters were held for a short time.Politicians and protesters respondPoliticians blamed left-wing activists for the evening violence. Some had warned in the past week that the protests could turn violent.Protesters told Al Jazeera that talk of violence takes attention from their demands. Dinter asked police not to meet the marches with force, and said the group stands with people around the world who want cheaper living, more money for schools and an end to wars and military build-up.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement