Protesting farmers, boo, jeer minister, as tractors push ahead to Berlin

 

BERLIN – Large numbers of tractors were heading to Berlin city centre on Monday morning for another demonstration by farmers who are angry at government plans to end tax breaks on diesel fuel, with many booing and jeering Finance Minister, Christian Lindner in attempt to speak to them.

Honking tractors could be heard in several neighbourhoods. Other agricultural workers were also seen joining the protest.

Around midday (1100 GMT) thousands of farmers from all over Germany plan to hold a rally at the iconic Brandenburg Gate against the end of diesel tax breaks for the agricultural sector, in a climax to their week of protests. Many tractors were already parked by the monument in the early morning.

In addition to representatives of the Farmers’ Association and trade unions, Germany’s Finance Minister Christian Lindner will also speak at the rally.

Around 5,000 tractors and other agricultural vehicles from all over Germany are expected to take part.

On Sunday evening, the police were already having to stop tractors from entering the demonstration area in the capital’s governmental district.

“It can’t take any more,” said a police spokesperson in the evening. Heavy traffic obstructions are to be expected throughout the German capital on Monday.

In one concession, the government has decided not to abolish the motor vehicle tax exemption for the agricultural sector. However, farmers argue that this decision does not go far enough.

Meanwhile, farming industry leaders met top lawmakers from all three political parties in Germany’s governing coalition on Monday amid mass protests by farmers in Berlin over subsidy cuts.

Parliamentary leaders from the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) last week invited officials from eight agricultural industry groups for talks. In addition to financial burdens facing farmers, the politicians hoped to discuss the “lack of certainty and economic prospects for agricultural businesses.”

Thousands of farmers have driven tractors and other heavy equipment into centre of the German capital to demand that Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government abandon plans to gradually reduce diesel fuel tax breaks for farmers.

The Protesting farmers booed and jeered German Finance Minister Christian Lindner at a large demonstration in central Berlin on Monday.

Lindner took to the podium to address the angry farmers, who are protesting government proposals to cut agricultural diesel fuel subsidies, but was shouted down by the crowd.

He was only able to begin his speech after Joachim Rukwied, the leader of a major agricultural lobby group, appealed to the crowd.

The assembled farmers nevertheless continued to accompany his speech with loud shouts of “Go away!” as well as honking and whistling.

The heckling largely drowned out the sound of Lindner’s speech, despite the loudspeakers at the rally.