Protests led by young people across Germany turned violent as shops were looted, fires were set and dozens of people were arrested, with police blaming extremist groups for the unrest.
Thousands took to the streets in several German cities to protest rising living costs, education funding cuts and government policies.
According to CNN, Hesse’s Interior Minister Roman Poseck said “around 100 clearly identified left-wing extremists” had joined demonstrators in Frankfurt, where violence broke out.
Police said protesters smashed shop windows, looted businesses and threw Molotov cocktails at officers.
“It is shameful how this event here in Frankfurt has ended,” Poseck said, according to CNN.
At least 30 people were detained in Frankfurt and another 60 in Berlin, where 27 police officers were injured.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also blamed “troublemakers from migrant communities” for the violence, according to Bild newspaper.
The protests were organised by Gen Z Regelt (Gen Z Takes Charge), which denied responsibility for the violence.
“We had no influence on what happened after the demonstrations ended,” a spokesperson told Der Spiegel.
Demonstrators also demanded stronger climate action and opposed plans to restore compulsory military service.
The protests followed similar unrest in France last month.
