Farmers are protesting in Berlin with hundreds of tractors; it is expected that thousands of farmers will participate in the demonstration, during which hundreds of tractors will converge on the Brandenburg Gate for a rally around 11 a.m.
The procession has caused traffic jams on the roads as the tractors move towards the center of Berlin.
Farmers are protesting in Berlin with hundreds of tractors
According to Berlin police, around 3,000 participants are expected. The police reported that due to the 'several hundred tractors' in the city, traffic will be restricted until noon on Monday.
A convoy of approximately 150 tractors arrived from northern Germany early Monday morning, according to a representative of the Farmers' Association, as reported by the Berlin radio and television company rbb. Farmers gathered there and then continued their movement along the B5 route to Berlin.
The protest is against the government's plan to eliminate tax breaks and subsidies in the agricultural sector.
A coalition comprising the Social Democrats (SPD), Free Democrats (FDP), and the Greens plans to abolish tax breaks for farmers and eliminate subsidies for agricultural diesel fuel as part of budget cuts following a supreme court decision in November that altered spending plans.
The government also stated that these measures are intended to help protect the climate. Federal Minister of Agriculture Jam Ozdemir (the Greens) said he wants to talk to the farmers.
However, the pro-business parliamentary group of the FDP in the Bundestag announced on Sunday that it would veto plans to eliminate tax breaks, indicating cracks in the coalition agreement.
"The FDP parliamentary group does not consider a heavy burden on agricultural enterprises acceptable", said Christian Dürr, the leader of the FDP parliamentary group, to the DPA news agency. "Too often, people talk about supposedly climate-damaging subsidies without considering the social and economic consequences of their elimination", he added.
"Above all, our farmers need fair competitive conditions compared to other European countries," said Dürr. "This will be jeopardized if the plans are implemented."
Finance Minister Christian Lindner "has already confirmed that he can present alternative options to the government if coalition partners agree.
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The Farmers' Association representative mentioned that a convoy of 150 tractors arrived from northern Germany. Due to the anticipated participation of thousands of farmers and the arrival of numerous tractors, traffic restrictions are anticipated until noon on Monday.
