Nearly 200,000 join protests across Germany as clashes erupt in several cities

Protest marches were held in about 30 German cities, calling for lower living costs and better school environments.

The protests were reported to have been peaceful in most places, but unrest broke out in Cologne and Hamburg, among other cities.

Pictures from Hamburg show fires in the streets. According to Bild, large numbers of people threw firecrackers, bottles and paving stones at police.

In Cologne, police used water cannons to disperse crowds. There was also unrest in Stuttgart, where demonstrators threw eggs and paving stones at police.