Frankfurt riots leave 54 arrested, more than 100 police officers injured, five shops looted

What happened

Rioting and looting broke out in Frankfurt am Main on the night of Saturday, 31 October, into Sunday, 1 November, after a demonstration had been dispersed. Police said 17 shops were damaged and five were looted, among them a gun shop, where officers later secured stolen blank-firing pistols and special forces guarded the premises. Attacks also hit firefighters and rescue workers, and the violence stretched late into the night. At its height, up to 1,300 officers were on duty, and Interior Minister Roman Poseck said more than 100 of them were injured, one of them seriously after a stone struck his face and knocked out his teeth.

Police findings

Police say the night has to be split into two groups. According to operational commander Erik Hessenmüller, a smaller group turned violent at the end of the demonstration, while the later riots on the Zeil and in the rest of the inner city are attributed to a different group. Police estimate they faced 1,000 to 1,500 violent disturbers. Police president Stefan Müller said the young men who regularly gather in the inner city on weekends were already known to officers, who had classed them as "experience-oriented" until Saturday showed they could also turn violent. Officers see no recognisable political motive among most of the rioters.

Poseck described the main perpetrator group in plain terms.

“That group of perpetrators was predominantly shaped by migration. We also have to deal with that.”

Police recorded 54 arrests of people aged 13 to 29, who according to Poseck are predominantly German nationals with homes in Hesse as well as in Zweibrücken and Recklinghausen. The police tally also lists 87 criminal complaints, 366 personal checks and 1,225 orders to leave an area. Officers hope to identify further suspects from video footage.

Arrests54

Criminal complaints87

Personal checks366

Orders to leave an area1,225

Arrests

54

Criminal complaints

87

Personal checks

366

Orders to leave an area

1225

Data from the article text

Political reaction

On Saturday, 31 October, thousands of young people had demonstrated in several German cities for better education, lower living costs and the abolition of compulsory military service. The Frankfurt march was held under the slogan 'Gen Z regelt'. Poseck said the situation had been very difficult and that the police had won a long fight that night, adding a warning about the scale of the violence.

“We have seen completely unrestrained violence in some cases, especially also against our police.”

Hesse's Minister-President Boris Rhein promised quick and unbureaucratic aid from the state government and said officials were already in talks with the retail association. He called the attacks on shops and small businesses existential for some traders.

“We are not leaving those affected in the lurch.”

Frankfurt mayor Mike Josef announced a meeting with the retail association on Monday, 2 November, to rebuild trust, and called for swift verdicts against the perpetrators.

Retailers and next steps

The Handelsverband Hessen demanded quick help for affected shopkeepers and asked for a careful review of the damage. The association insisted that the peaceful demonstration by pupils, students and young people must be separated from the later violence, which it said was no longer driven mainly by political protest but by a near-intoxicated enjoyment of rioting and destruction. Police will use video material to look for more suspects. Poseck said authorities in Hesse would focus more strongly on violent young people with migration background, calling the night a trigger for a tougher approach.