Germany’s Gen Z protests spark debate on integration, bias

Responses to the violent scenes that followed recent Gen Z demonstrations in Germany have revealed differences in opinion within the federal government over who is responsible.

Though there is general agreement that people who committed acts of violence must be held accountable, some conservative lawmakers have largely blamed migrant groups — raising questions about whether they are reinforcing prejudice .

Leading Social Democrats have warned against generalizations, and at least one Cabinet minister from the Christian Democrats (CDU) would prefer to examine the causes of the violence. Gen Z's fears for the future are at threat of being overshadowed by the discussions in the government and the press's focus on scattered rioting.

In Frankfurt , more than 100 police officers were injured, one severely, in the street battles that erupted after the protest on October 31. Shops were damaged and looted, too. The situation in Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin also escalated.

That Saturday, tens of thousands of young people had taken to the streets across Germany for predominantly peaceful rallies. The initiative Gen Z regelt — which roughly means Gen Z takes charge — had urged young people to highlight their fears for the future and to call for better educational opportunities, affordable housing and more climate action.

Copyright for this text belongs to Deutsche Welle.