Monday is expected to be a significant day for German anti-government protesters, with thousands of tractors and truckers converging in Berlin to voice their opposition to the green agenda.
Farmers were angered by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition last month when they proposed eliminating car tax exemptions for farming vehicles and ending diesel tax breaks as part of a plan to address a 17-billion-euro ($18.6-billion) budget deficit in 2024.
The protesters are in disagreement with government policies that aim to generate additional revenue for the state by imposing penalties on machinery users. In the agricultural sector, this translates to higher fuel expenses due to the government’s removal of diesel subsidies and the termination of tax exemptions for agricultural vehicles.
Farmers argue that agriculture in Germany is slowly deteriorating due to a series of detrimental policies, and these overtly anti-farmer measures by the left-green-centrist coalition government are the final straw.
German police made efforts to mitigate the impact of a massive protest against the coalition government’s anti-agriculture policies on Monday. They announced a strict limit on the number of vehicles allowed to participate in the protest. At the city’s outskirts, officers stopped muckspreaders and directed them away, preventing tractors carrying loads of manure from entering Berlin.
As authorities work to manage the demonstration, the fire brigade greeted the procession of tractors in the early hours as a sign of solidarity. Fire engines displayed lights and sirens, while firefighters applauded as the vehicles passed by.
Over 3,200 tractors have already arrived in Berlin, and thousands more are en route, according to reports. The police have indicated that they will only allow 5,000 to participate and have established designated parking areas for the numerous vehicles within the city. Road closures are already in effect throughout the city, including the suspension of many bus routes.
Germany 🇩🇪
Just like the Canadian truckers & Dutch farmers, the German farmers and truckers are creating a mass mobilisation protest movement. A massive tractor and truck convoy is heading to Berlin to protest against the German government.
🚜 🚛 pic.twitter.com/LRZgvAugZk
— James Melville (@JamesMelville) January 8, 2024
Considerably more than the approved 10,000 participants are anticipated to join, and the designated tractor areas were already at full capacity by the early hours of Monday morning. The protest’s size has been further bolstered by the inclusion of truckers who have joined in solidarity with the farmers. German media highlights that truck drivers and logistics workers have their own grievances against the government, but it is evident that these concerns closely align with those of the farmers.
Apart from the truckers, the farmers also enjoy support from the majority of Germans, with 70% of Germans supporting the farmers’ protests. In contrast, the government labels the protesters as “extremists” who exhibit “contempt” for compromise and intentionally incite anger.
The government’s alarming rhetoric, accusing farmers and their supporters of extremism, has provoked some mockery. A leader in Die Welt, Germany’s leading establishment newspaper, has criticized the current ruling coalition for repeatedly accusing its opponents of undermining democracy to suppress dissenting voices.
