Cost of living protests hit France and Germany; Frankfurt shops looted

French police arrested 565 people in a third round of demonstrations. German police used water cannon at the marches. Shops in Cologne and Düsseldorf barricaded; Frankfurt shops looted.

Protests over the cost of living and public services brought unrest to France and Germany on 31 October. Police in France arrested 565 people during the third round of demonstrations, according to Ouest-France. In Germany, police fired water cannon after protesters hurled fireworks at the end of mostly peaceful youth-led marches in dozens of cities.

Shop owners in Germany barricaded their stores after the escalation in France, WDR reported, for example in Cologne and Düsseldorf. Shops in Frankfurt city centre were looted, according to AFP and the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. Looters hit the shoe shop Snipes on the Zeil and a gun store in the Hasengasse. Police arrested suspects and seized two weapons after the attack on the weapons shop. AFP and the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reported the arrests and the seizure.

Tens of thousands marched in a third wave of protests across France in late October, the Guardian reported. The demonstrations were the third round of protests over the cost of living and worsening public services. Some demonstrators wore Halloween fancy dress. Clashes broke out in Paris and other cities. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the marches had gone well. He described the violence of rioter groups against the security forces as 'inouïe', or unheard-of, according to Ouest-France.

The violence in Frankfurt began after dark on 31 October, hours after the marches had ended, police said. Officers described the scene as violent riots, with shop windows smashed in the city centre. At the Konstablerwache, protesters threw molotov cocktails and firecrackers at emergency personnel, along with bottles and stones, according to police. One person was hurt in the unrest. Police made several arrests at the scene. Officers also deployed water cannon and armoured vehicles against the crowds. Police said the escalation came after the protests had run for hours.

The 'GenZ regelt!' movement said about 120,000 people joined the German marches, fewer than the 180,000 it had expected. A spokesman, giving only his first name Amadeo, put the figure above 100,000. Protesters waved signs reading 'Time for resistance' and 'Merz must go'. Their complaints ranged from the cost of living and school upkeep to spending cuts and higher military spending. The movement also distanced itself from the violence. It said: 'Extremist groups, anti-constitutional symbols, racism and hate speech have no place with us -- no matter from which side'