Violence broke out after youth demonstrations in several German cities on Saturday, Oct. 31, with clashes, damaged shops and attacks on police reported in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin and Cologne. Most demonstrations had been peaceful earlier in the day, and accounts distinguish the later unrest from participants who marched peacefully.
Frankfurt saw the largest reported damage. Police estimated that about 8,000 people attended a largely peaceful rally before disorder escalated in the city center. Hesse’s Interior Ministry later reported that 54 people had been detained, 17 businesses damaged and more than 100 officers injured. Police also checked 366 people and ordered 1,225 to leave the area.
Many people involved in the subsequent unrest had not taken part in the march, Tagesschau reported. Organizers distanced themselves from the violence. The Hesse ministry said a special commission would handle the proceedings related to the incidents.
Incidents reported in three other cities
In Berlin, a march of about 3,500 people that began at Rosenthaler Platz ended amid unrest. Police reported 27 officers with minor injuries and up to 56 people temporarily detained. This was a separate event from another, largely peaceful youth demonstration in the city.
Hamburg police said troublemakers joined demonstrators after the gathering, setting fire to barricades and throwing stones, bottles and fireworks at officers. About 120 people were temporarily taken into custody during the evening, according to an initial police count; a final total was not available in the reports provided.
In Cologne, police ended a rally at about 4 p.m. after some participants set off fireworks and officers came under attack. One officer sustained a hand injury and could not continue working, police said.
The protests addressed issues including rising living costs. Hesse’s Interior Ministry said its Frankfurt figures were an initial assessment of the violence and its aftermath.
Dana Mcgee