Violent Clashes Erupt at German Cost of Living Protests

Breaking news from Germany, where peaceful protests over the cost of living erupted into violence overnight. According to multiple news agencies, masked rioters looted shops in central Frankfurt, targeting both retail and specialized stores, including a gun shop where police arrested a suspect and seized two weapons. Clashes between protesters and police also broke out in Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg. Police deployed water cannons to disperse crowds after emergency workers were targeted with fireworks, stones, bottles, and Molotov cocktails. The demonstrations, organized by the campaign group 'Gen Z regelt', drew tens of thousands nationwide and focused attention on growing discontent over education funding, living costs, public spending cuts, and proposed military service. Several police officers sustained injuries in the confrontations. The unrest in Germany mirrors youth-led protests witnessed in neighboring France.