Frankfurt Violence Damages 17 Shops, Injures 100 Officers

Violence after a youth rally in Frankfurt damaged 17 shops, including five that were looted, and left 100 police officers injured, Hesse Interior Minister Roman Poseck said November 1. Authorities arrested 54 people, aged 13 to 29, in connection with the incidents, he said. One officer was seriously injured, according to Poseck’s account reported by officials. The violence occurred on October 31 after a daytime demonstration that Frankfurt police characterized as largely peaceful. Police said unrest began as the procession was ending; a police account reported that subsequent looting involved another group. Poseck said police estimated that 1,000 to 1,500 people took part in the violence. That figure was an estimate, not a confirmed headcount. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said those responsible would be identified and held accountable, and called for tough penalties. He also accused violent left-wing groups and people from migrant communities of taking over the protests. Frankfurt’s police president, however, said most people involved in the later incidents appeared to have no political motive. The available accounts do not independently establish the...