Frankfurt Halloween Riots: 54 Arrested, About 100 Officers Hurt, and a State Minister Says the Group Was 'Predominantly of Migrant Background'
Hesse's interior minister says 17 shops were damaged and five looted, and promises 'clear consequences.' Germany's federal interior minister blames violent left-wing groups and troublemakers who hijacked Gen Z protests.
German authorities say the Halloween night riots in Frankfurt were mostly carried out by people with a migrant background, Breitbart reports. The unrest follows weeks of violent protests in France, which we have covered.
What happened. Rioters smashed and looted shop windows in the city, and Breitbart says police cordoned off the Zeil shopping street, one of Germany's best-known. Hesse's interior minister, Roman Poseck, said 17 shops were damaged and five were looted. Police estimated 1,000 to 1,500 violent rioters. Only 54 had been arrested so far, aged 13 to 29.
The police toll. About 100 officers were injured, one seriously, and police came under attack with Molotov cocktails, as in Paris the same night. A special operations unit was called in to back up officers.
What officials said. Poseck, quoted from Die Welt: "This group of perpetrators was predominantly of migrant background. And we must address that as well. There can be no false taboos here." He said a special commission will study the events, and added that acting protects the many people with a migration background who obey the law. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said "violent left-wing groups and troublemakers from the migrant community hijacked the peaceful demonstrations," and that rioters and looters will be identified and face harsh punishment.
The wider protests. Breitbart says an estimated 120,000 people took part in "Gen Z" demonstrations across about 30 German cities on Saturday, with violence also reported in Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg and Stuttgart, where police used water cannons in some places.
The political fallout. The opposition Alternative for Germany party criticized the government. Its Hesse parliamentary leader, Robert Lambrou, called the violence appalling and said it points to "unresolved problems with migration."
What to keep in mind. Breitbart's framing, including its description of an alliance between the radical left and migrant youths, is its own view. The ministers' statements are what the officials said, and the arrest figure may change as the investigation continues. Only 54 of the estimated 1,000 to 1,500 rioters had been arrested at the time of the report.