German police union defends blaming migrants groups for Gen Z riots

Germany's police union (GdP) pushed back on Tuesday after facing criticism for attributing violent rioting at the weekend to young men with migrant backgrounds.

Amid nationwide Gen Z protests on Saturday, rioting broke out in some cities, including incidents of violence and looting. 

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt pinned the blame for the unrest on "violent left-wing groups and troublemakers from migrant communities," in comments echoed by other conservative politicians that triggered a political backlash.

But Andreas Rosskopf, chairman of the GdP's federal police division, defended the assertions.

"Our colleagues, who put their heads on the line for the rule of law and have done so absolutely professionally, confirm exactly these groups of perpetrators in their reports," Rosskopf told the mass-circulation Bild newspaper. He said it was incomprehensible that "attempts are being made in some political circles to gloss over this."

The late-night rioting and looting centred on the banking hub of Frankfurt. It came after thousands of young people had demonstrated peacefully for issues such as education and social policy.

Clashes with police also occurred in cities including Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin. The GdP called for swift verdicts for the offenders.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius of the Social Democrats was among those to criticize blanket accusations. 

"What are migrant groups? Are they people who have lived in Germany for three generations and are German citizens? Where do we stop differentiating?" he asked on the ZDF public broadcaster.