"Looting Shops, Hurling Molotov Cocktails at Police"... Europe Descends Into Chaos Amid Mass Protests

Gun Shop Looted in Germany; 560 Arrested in France

Large-scale demonstrations broke out across Europe, including Germany and France, with some areas descending into violence. In Germany, protesters smashed and looted shops, while in France, clashes between police and demonstrators led to the arrest of more than 560 people.

A person holding a road traffic sign while smashing a shop window. Yonhap News Agency

According to DPA and the BBC, among other outlets, on Nov. 1, the German youth group "Gen Z Regelt" ("Gen Z Gets Things Done") held demonstrations in more than 30 cities nationwide on Saturday (local time), calling for improvements to education, relief from the cost-of-living burden and social justice. An estimated 18,000 people took part in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin alone. German media estimated that tens of thousands of people took to the streets nationwide.

Most of the demonstrations were peaceful, but violence broke out in some areas after sunset. In Frankfurt, some protesters threw Molotov cocktails at police officers and smashed the windows of clothing and liquor stores. A gun shop was also looted, and police apprehended one suspect and recovered two types of weapons.

Frankfurt police deployed a special response team to quell the violence and arrested more than 30 people. Roman Poseck, Hesse's interior minister, said that about 100 people believed to be left-wing extremists had infiltrated the demonstration, criticizing the outcome by saying, "It is shameful that the demonstration ended this way."

In Berlin, 27 police officers were injured and 56 people were arrested. In Hamburg, some demonstrators dressed in black set off fireworks and set fire to barricades. According to local public broadcaster NDR, 120 people were arrested in the city alone. In Cologne, violent acts included throwing bottles and bicycles at police officers near the central station.

France also saw large-scale weekend demonstrations for the third consecutive week. About 320,000 people took part nationwide, and clashes with police broke out in major cities including Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse, leading to the arrest of more than 560 people. Most demonstrators continued their rallies peacefully, wearing costumes for Halloween and marching to music. However, clashes began around dusk when some threw Molotov cocktails and other objects at police, who responded with stun grenades and tear gas. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said one police officer was injured by a Molotov cocktail and that hundreds of people attacked police by throwing or launching objects at them.

In Italy, police and demonstrators clashed sporadically in Rome, Turin and elsewhere. In Lisbon, Portugal's capital, thousands marched to demand action on the housing shortage. The demonstrators called for the withdrawal of a rental housing bill under discussion in parliament, saying it would worsen housing problems. Police dismantled tents set up by protesters in a square early on Nov. 1.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.