Starting this Monday, farmers want to demonstrate against the federal government’s agricultural policy in a nationwide week of action. Everyone who takes part in traffic should plan more time. An overview.
The German farmers are angry. Although the traffic light government has reversed some cuts in subsidies, the German Farmers’ Association wants to stick to the week of action it organized. However, the associations explicitly distanced themselves from undemocratic protests such as the blockade of a ferry belonging to Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck on Thursday evening.
Farmers’ President Joachim Rukwied called for peaceful and democratic protests in advance and told “Bild am Sonntag”: “We don’t want right-wing and other radical groups with a desire for subversion at our demos.”
Farmers protests across the country
The actions begin this Monday across the country and are scheduled to culminate in a large demonstration in Berlin on Sunday, January 15th. Road users nationwide should therefore prepare for traffic jams, blockages and other delays. Here you will find an overview broken down by federal state as well as links with further information.
Baden-Württemberg
Starting Monday, he announced numerous actions throughout the state. These include tugboat trips and rallyes in Pforzheim, Ravensburg, Reutlingen and Göppingen. Under the motto “Too much is too much. That’s enough!” The farmers want to demonstrate against the federal government’s measures, including the canceled funding for agricultural diesel. In the state capital Stuttgart there is also a car parade followed by a rally in the city center.
Bavaria
Activities by farmers in the Free State are taking place all week. It starts on Monday with three large demonstrations in Munich, Augsburg and Nuremberg, each starting at 11 a.m. Tractor rides and protest rallies are planned, according to the . Rallies, bonfires and rallies will follow across the country, with further major events in Augsburg on January 10th and in Nuremberg on January 12th (both at 11 a.m.).
Other sectors in Bavaria also want to take part in the protests. Bakers, butchers and millers have announced their support for the opening demonstration on January 8th in Munich, said the Bavarian Crafts Day. The food tradesmen’s protest is primarily directed against the renewed increase in VAT to 19 percent for food in restaurants as well as against the abolition of the electricity and gas price brakes, the increase in the CO2 tax and the new truck toll.
Bavaria’s Interior Minister said: “Our goal is to ensure that the meetings run as smoothly as possible and at the same time minimize the disruption to the population as far as we can.” He supported the protests.
The police union in Bavaria has meanwhile criticized farmers and fears that the police will be overburdened: “Many actions not only go far beyond the legal point of view, they also pose traffic hazards as well as threats to public safety and order,” explained police unionist Thorsten Grimm .
Demo in Berlin
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Berlin
Starting on Sunday at 5 p.m., up to 300 tractors will come together for a rally in Berlin-Tiergarten. The road between the Großer Stern and the Brandenburg Gate will be closed until Monday morning, the . Motorway blockades and obstructions as well as other actions will follow this week up to and including January 13th. He has called for a large demonstration in the capital for Sunday, January 15th, with thousands of participants expected.
Brandenburg
From Monday onwards, they expect a “large number of gatherings” and “extensive traffic disruptions”. The document in which the police collect and publish the announced disruptions is nine pages long as of Sunday afternoon. He also announced that he would go on strike in all districts next week and “not make any compromises”. The plan is to block motorway entrances throughout the state, as well as to hold tractor parades, numerous vigils and, in some cases, discussions with citizens.
Bremen
In the city state, there will be disruptions to road traffic from early Monday morning and up to 2,000 vehicles in the city area. The organizer said there were around 200 participants, but the police are expecting a larger number as there have been some calls for “individual rallies”. The Bremen Farmers’ Association also organizes rallies from the region to the Hanseatic city.
The police explicitly point out the weight restrictions of bridges, as agricultural vehicles are significantly heavier than cars.
Hamburg
In the Hanseatic city, it is assumed that more than 2,000 agricultural machines will drive into the city, especially on Monday. There are also 15 tractor columns with hundreds of vehicles and a large protest in the Bergstedt district. Nearby farmers’ associations organized the columns from surrounding districts such as Pinneberg, Segeberg, Dithmarschen, Bremen-Oldenburg and Göttingen.
The police are expecting “significant” traffic disruptions, including on alternative routes, and are asking the public to switch to rail if possible.
Hesse
In Hesse, the largest protest action will take place on Monday, with a rally in Wiesbaden. He expects hundreds of tractors. After a rally, a resolution is to be handed over to the Hessian State Chancellery. Activities also take place during the week in Kassel, Limburg and the Untertaunus, reports the . Another big rally is scheduled to take place on Thursday, January 11th in Frankfurt, where the Hessian Farmers’ Association is planning a rally with a rally on Opernplatz.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the state government is expecting massive disruption to traffic due to protests by farmers. The government had therefore suspended the Sunday driving ban for trucks in advance. From Monday, the Ministry of Economic Affairs expects temporary closures and traffic obstructions “at most motorway entrances”. The regional one writes of 62 access roads that are to be blocked across the country between 6 and 9 a.m. Further activities will follow throughout the week.
The police are also expecting car parades in Schwerin, Rostock, Greifswald and Stralsund. The police have collected more than 100 actions (as of Sunday afternoon).
Lower Saxony
The plan is to carry out activities throughout the week, with the provisional climax on Monday. 18 regional associations have announced events, including a rally from the northwest of the country to Bremen, decentralized demonstrations in Diepholz, tractor parades in Göttingen as well as rally and slow rides in the Hanover region. Motorway entrances will also be blocked in isolated cases.
North Rhine-Westphalia
In North Rhine-Westphalia, among other things, they are planning actions to disrupt traffic and block motorway entrances. For example, parades are planned in the Borken district or in Duisburg, as well as rallyes in Gütersloh, Höxter, in the Lippe district or in Hochsauerland.
In view of the planned large-scale demonstration in Berlin on January 15th, numerous district associations are organizing bus trips to the capital.
Rhineland-Palatinate
The farmers’ and winegrowers’ association wants to hold demonstrations and rallies in all 14 districts on Monday. According to this, as of Friday, 95 registrations for campaigns had been received, with around 10,000 participants. The authority expects “significant traffic disruptions” due to rally events in the state capital Mainz and other cities.
Interior Minister Michael Ebling appealed in advance to the participants to adhere to the emergency services’ instructions: “However, anyone who blocks emergency and rescue routes or puts others in danger will have to expect the appropriate reaction from the police officers.”
Saarland
In Saarland, the state capital Saarbrücken alone is expecting a rally of around 500 vehicles on Monday to the destination of Saarbrücken Castle. A rally will take place there afterwards. There may also be lengthy traffic disruptions at motorway junctions in Freisen, Braunshausen, Waldmohr or Perl. The population should prepare for longer waiting times and traffic jams and avoid affected areas as much as possible, according to a statement. Significant traffic disruptions can be expected from the early hours of the morning.
Saxony
For the Free State, he is calling for numerous decentralized actions throughout the country. The association has organized a large demonstration on Dresden’s Theaterplatz on January 10th. Road users should be prepared for disruptions from the morning hours on Wednesday.
For the Leipzig region, they are expecting several rallies in urban areas and actions on ramps of federal highways 9, 14, 38 and 72 from Monday. Several tractor parades have also been registered, for example in the Eilenburg/Bad Düben area, as well as in Chemnitz, Zwickau and Görlitz.
He also points out that the “Day of Resistance” group is planning rallies in Dresden that are intended to bring people closer to the right-wing extremist micro-party “Free Saxony”.
Saxony-Anhalt
In Saxony-Anhalt he is calling for action on several days. There will be two large rallies in Magdeburg and Halle on Monday. Decentralized bonfires are planned throughout the region on Tuesday and large areas of motorway entrances are to be blocked on Wednesday. The regional association said this campaign was designed to last several hours. However, at the request of the authorities, the driveways in the regions affected by flooding should be kept clear.
According to a statement, Economics and Agriculture Minister Sven Schulze supports peaceful protests by farmers. He “doesn’t have the feeling that the federal government has yet understood how great the pressure is in Germany.”
Schleswig-Holstein
In the northern state, the police expect more than 100 protests across the country. Numerous convoys, tractor convoys, rallies, vigils and the blocking of motorway entrances were announced by the person in charge. The police therefore expect disruptions and a longer waiting time for road users.
In a message, he lists the areas in which column trips are planned on Monday, including Pinneberg, Elmshorn, Dithmarschen, North Frisia and the Duchy of Lauenburg. Trips through Flensburg, Ostholstein and Lübeck are also planned for Wednesday.
Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack asked people to be patient in a message on Sunday: “The sheer number of actions announced for tomorrow and their planned extent will put the patience of the population to a tough test.”
Thuringia
In Thuringia, the biggest action takes place on Monday. In the state capital, the farmers’ association is calling for a demonstration on Erfurt’s Juri-Gagarin-Ring from 8 a.m. A rally from all parts of the country is planned, according to a statement from . He expects around 900 tractors for Monday. According to the Interior Ministry, other cities could also be affected by the week of action. The responsible minister, Georg Maier, is in close dialogue with farmers in order to reduce the disruption to the population “to a minimum if possible”.
The police advise road users, especially on Mondays, to stay in their home office if possible or to allow enough time for the journey to work.
Sources: Police departments, state farmers’ associations, with information from news agencies
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
