German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt called on Sunday for tough penalties against rioters and looters following overnight unrest in Frankfurt, while crediting a large police deployment with preventing more extensive violence.
Reuters, in a report published by The Straits Times on Nov. 1, cited Dobrindt’s comments to the German tabloid Bild. He said those responsible would be identified and held accountable.
The unrest followed demonstrations on Saturday that drew tens of thousands of people across dozens of German cities. Led by the campaign group “Gen Z regelt,” or “Gen Z takes charge,” the protests called for better education and lower living costs.
Hooded rioters looted Frankfurt stores late that night, Reuters reported. City police described smashed windows and petrol bombs thrown at emergency services. Local broadcaster HR reported that police temporarily arrested more than 30 people, without providing details about those detained.
Dobrindt accused violent left-wing groups and people from migrant communities of hijacking otherwise peaceful protests, but did not elaborate. The minister, a member of the conservative CSU, said deploying substantial police numbers across multiple locations had helped avert violence on the scale seen in Paris.