Most Frankfurt rioters had ‘migrant background’ – German state minister
More than 100 police officers were injured and 54 people were arrested after mobs looted shops and clashed with security forces in Frankfurt during Gen Z protests on Saturday night.
Rioters who rampaged through Frankfurt were predominantly from migrant backgrounds, according to Roman Poseck, interior minister of the German state of Hesse.
Authorities said 54 people had been arrested after mobs ransacked shops in Germany’s financial capital and attacked police with bottles, stones and incendiary devices.
More than 100 officers were injured, while 17 businesses were damaged, five of which were looted. The arrested were aged between 13 and 29, with most being German citizens.
In Frankfurt, an enormous wave of violence erupted involving left-wing extremists and violence-prone young people, most of them with migrant backgrounds.
Poseck said he was "shocked" by the scale of the violence and that police had faced between 1,000 and 1,500 rioters. He added that there must be no false taboos regarding the perpetrators' backgrounds.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also accused "violent left-wing groups and troublemakers from migrant communities" of hijacking initially peaceful demonstrations.
The rioters and looters will be identified and held accountable.
Political context
Immigration and crime have long been contentious issues in Germany, amid discontent over the rising cost of living and widespread dissatisfaction with Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) finished first in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in September, marking its first victories in those two states.
An October poll by Forsa found that 87% of Germans were dissatisfied with Merz’s performance, while just 11% were satisfied.
The riots in Frankfurt coincided with a broader wave of protests across Europe over rising living costs, housing shortages, and deteriorating public services.
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