Education Minister Prien: Violence after youth demonstrations raises questions about integration

Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg: The situation escalated in several cities over the weekend after the “Gen Z rules” protests. Who were the perpetrators of violence? There is a debate about this. For Education Minister Prien

Violence after “Gen Z” protests “We also have to look at the causes” As of: November 2nd, 2026 • 10:21 a.m

The violence following the “Gen Z” protests over the weekend continues to spark political discussions. From the perspective of Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU), the question also arises as to how integration can be made more successful.

Prien spoke on Deutschlandfunk about violent excesses of left-wing radical groups and "also of others who probably also come from migrant milieus." The point is not to stir up resentment, but rather to get an idea of why people resort to such measures. “And if they come from migrant backgrounds, then that has to worry us, and then we have to look at the causes,” said the Education Minister. One question is why integration is less successful in some groups than in others.

Prien called for listening especially to young people who did not commit violence. This is a generation that looks relatively pragmatically at what is and also at its future. “And there are things that you have to worry about as a young person today.”

However, the family minister also made it clear that she did not support all of the demands made by “Gen Z”. “I have a different attitude towards military service and social service,” said the CDU politician.

Injured and looted shops - the riots after the Gen Z protests cause horror. more

Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) had previously spoken of “violent left-wing groups and migrant chaotics” who attacked the police and damaged shops in several cities after the peaceful protests of “Gen Z”.

The Hessian Interior Minister Roman Poseck (CDU) also described two groups of perpetrators in Frankfurt in the daily topics. Initially, left-wing extremists were on the move, "later migrant youth." The riots resulted in “uninhibited violence”.

Defense Minister Pistorius distances himself from Interior Minister Dobrindt's statements after "GenZ" protests tagesschau, Das Erste, 02.11.2026 • 7:00 a.m. Pistorius: "That leads in the wrong direction" Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) distanced himself from the reading of the Union politicians on ZDF and asked: "What are migrant groups? Are they people who live in Germany in the third generation and are German ones Are nationals? Where do we stop differentiating this? I think that's going in the wrong direction." However, he pointed out that he could not understand the facts quickly. That's why he doesn't adopt the definition.

The fact that violence broke out after the protests is fundamentally not surprising, says education and protest researcher Nina Kolleck in an interview with tagesschau24. "It certainly has something to do with the fact that the situation has gotten much worse in recent years."

Fewer people than expected took part in the “Gen Z Rules” protest day. What new actions are planned? more

Climate activist Luisa Neubauer criticized the focus on violent incidents surrounding some “Gen Z regulates” protests. Neubauer told rbb that she had the impression that the debate was “a kind of easy meal” for some who were not seriously interested in the concerns of young people. The way the protests are talked about "symbolizes everything that is going wrong," explained Neubauer: "Young people get together and they are treated like a foreign body that you have to be afraid of."

The activist advises the initiators of the “Gen Z” demonstrations to narrow down their topics more closely. "It's simply easier to build up pressure if you can focus on demands."