German farmers' protests in full swing: convoys, demonstrations, traffic jams and blockades – Germany –

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, farmers blocked highway entrances. In Bavaria, police reported traffic disruptions in several places, for example because roads were reduced to one lane or motorway entrances were blocked. In the early hours of the morning, protest participants with around 200 tractors and trucks gathered at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

In the Ostallgäu district

In the Oberallgäu district/town of Kempton

City of Unterallgäu/Memmingen

According to media reports, a large protest will take place next Friday, January 12, in West Alkav and Lindau district. Apparently a tractor convoy with around 400 participants is planned from Lindau to Herkats.

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Shipping companies have also come out in support of farmers, protesting against the hike in truck rates. In many places in Germany, drivers, students and bus passengers are still having to adapt to severe handicaps. Several education ministries in Germany's federal states announced that students would be excused if they were unable to attend class due to activity.

The German Farmers Union has called for a week of action against the removal of subsidies for the industry. Tax exemption for agricultural diesel is a major issue. The fact that the government in Berlin has scaled back part of its austerity programs is not enough for the union. After a violent protest against German Economy Minister Robert Haebeck in the North Sea, the Farmers' Union called on its supporters to keep calm over the weekend and to avoid politicians' homes and personal hostilities.

According to the police, several tractors were on the highway in an unannounced demonstration on the A81 near Böblingen on Monday. In the Kloppenburg district in northwestern Lower Saxony, a federal highway was blocked by 40 vehicles. In Saxony, some motorway entrances in the Dresden area are unusable, according to police.

The German Farmers' Union again called for the planned cuts to be rolled back. “They are taking away the future of agriculture. Above all, we are jeopardizing the safe supply of local, high-quality food products,” association president Joachim Ruckweit told RBB Inforadio. “We hold the Berlin government to account and hope to reduce this disproportionate burden on agriculture. This is our main goal in the demonstrations.”

Ruckweed said last year was the first time in decades that the company's results were “correct” due to rising prices for milk, grains and meat. “Milk prices are down now. We were at a peak of 60 cents and now we're back to around 40 cents. Pig prices are down. Grain and rapeseed prices in particular are down,” the farmer leader said.

Coupled with higher energy prices and the now proposed subsidy cuts, this could lead to at least a third of farmers' incomes falling. “That's unacceptable,” Ruckwith said.

Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stefan Weil called for the cuts to be reversed. The German government must come clean and end the conflict, the head of the SPD government told ZDF's “Morgenmagazin”. “I believe both proposals will affect one industry more than others.” The German government plans to gradually reduce tax subsidies for agricultural diesel. Another plan to scrap the tax exemption for agricultural machinery is off the table.

The planned blockades drew criticism from German Interior Minister Nancy Fasser, who said: “Anyone who prevents others from going about their daily lives at work, school or in an urgent need to go to the doctor first causes anger and a lack of understanding.” SPD politician “Rheinische Post”. Reasonable protest ends where the rights of others are violated. Like other politicians, he called on farmers to stay clear of extremists.

Ruckweit insisted on ZDF: “Actions involving violence are prohibited.” It has been informed that the state and district farmers' unions should conduct peaceful demonstrations. All demonstrations are recorded. Asked if he was worried about farmers being infiltrated by right-wing extremists, Rukveed replied in the negative. “We are politically independent,” said the farmers' leader. “We express our concerns emphatically, but on the basis of the democratic constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany.”

Things will get more difficult for many commuters in Germany from Wednesday: then the train drivers' union GDL wants to strike at Deutsche Bahn, among others. The strike is scheduled to take place from 2 am on Wednesday to 6 pm on Friday. For example, experience has shown that if the staff working in signal boxes go on strike, other railway companies may also be affected. Deutsche Bahn has announced that it will submit an urgent application against the strike at the Frankfurt Labor Court.