Youth-led protests across Germany have been overshadowed by riots, looting, and violent clashes with police.

In Frankfurt, shops were ransacked and police attacked with Molotov cocktails, while disturbances also erupted in Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne.

Tens of thousands of young Germans took to the streets to protest against rising living costs, poor education, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government.

Inspired by France's youth protest movement, the demonstrations were organized under the banner "Gen Z regelt."

But who was behind the violence? And could Germany's Gen Z protests grow into a powerful political movement, or will the unrest undermine their momentum?