Authorities in Hesse have identified 54 people in connection with violence and looting in Frankfurt after a largely peaceful Gen Z protest on October 31. One 18-year-old is in pretrial detention on suspicion of stealing a gun from a shop, as politicians disagree over whether migrant background should be emphasized in describing those involved.
Police reported that 100 officers were injured, one seriously, and five businesses were looted. The Hesse police and interior ministry tally also recorded 54 arrests and 87 criminal complaints.
The Hesse Justice Ministry said prosecutors in Frankfurt had identified 54 people for whom police saw initial grounds for suspicion. Investigators are examining possible offenses including riot-related crimes, assault, burglary, property damage and attacks on police. The allegations remain under investigation; they are not convictions. The ministry said the case was still at an early stage.
Officials differ over how to describe those involved
Hesse Interior Minister Roman Poseck said most people arrested were German citizens, while describing the group of offenders as predominantly having a migrant background. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said peaceful demonstrations had later been taken over by violent left-wing groups and migrant hooligans. Chancellor Friedrich Merz backed his minister’s assessment.
Social Democrat Boris Pistorius warned against broad labels, questioning what officials meant by “migrant groups” when some people described that way may be German citizens. The federal government’s integration commissioner, Natalie Pawlik, also cautioned that generalizations could unfairly include people who protested peacefully or served in the police and emergency services.
Officials have not published a consolidated figure measuring suspects’ migration backgrounds. The protest organizers disassociated themselves from the violence, and police assessments cited in reporting distinguish between people who became violent during the demonstration and others involved in later looting.
Poseck has called for scrutiny of a planned November 20 demonstration, but no ban has been announced. The youth protests had focused on concerns including education, affordable housing and climate action.