“Heated atmosphere” – farmers block ferry with Robert Habeck
Couldn’t leave the ferry for safety reasons: Robert Habeck
Source: picture alliance/Flashpic/Jens Krick
The farmers’ protest escalated: More than 100 farmers monitored Robert Habeck when he returned from vacation and blocked a ferry pier. They rejected an offer from the economics minister. Finally the police intervened with pepper spray.
WAngry farmers blocked a ferry carrying Economics Minister Robert Habeck on Thursday. This was confirmed by a spokesman for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the responsible police control center in response to a WELT request. The “Schleswig-Holsteinische Zeitungsverlag” (“SHZ”) had previously reported on the incident.
Accordingly, farmers in the Nordfriesland district mobilized for a spontaneous protest. Within a few hours they are said to have joined forces privately and via Facebook groups and driven tractors to the Schlüttsiel ferry port in the Nordfriesland district, where the ship with the minister was expected.
Habeck, who was returning from a private visit to the Hallig Hooge, was unable to go ashore “for safety reasons,” the ministry spokesman told WELT. There was a “very heated atmosphere”. The police also spoke of a “very, very irritable atmosphere”. Around 150 demonstrators had gathered and 30 police officers were on duty.
According to the police, in addition to Habeck and his wife, there were also two bodyguards on board who initially wanted to stop the minister from talking to the farmers. However, Habeck did not allow himself to be dissuaded from seeking conversation.
According to “SHZ” He is said to have offered the demonstrators to let up to three of them on board for a conversation. The farmers would not have accepted this offer. Instead, according to the report, they demanded that Habeck speak to everyone with a megaphone or get off the ferry. The latter was forbidden by his security staff.
The police used “mild physical force”.
As the police told WELT, the remaining passengers were finally let ashore, while Habeck and his wife remained on board. 25 to 30 farmers then tried to prevent the ferry from leaving. The police used pepper spray and “mild physical force” against the demonstrators. According to police, there were no injuries.
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, demonstrators also tried to get on the ferry. When the ship left the ship, “according to the information we have, fireworks were set off,” the spokesman said. A video on social media showed a group of people apparently being prevented from gaining access to the ferry by police officers.
“The minister was very happy to talk to the farmers,” emphasized the ministry spokesman. “He knows and understands their concerns. For this reason, Economics Minister Habeck, the Federal Chancellor and Finance Minister Lindner have found a solution to accommodate farmers and reverse some of the subsidy cuts.”
Habeck initially returned to Hallig Hooge with his wife and his bodyguards. In the evening, the police announced that the minister was on his way back to the mainland. It’s quiet there now. The police are investigating a breach of the peace.
The farmers are outraged because of the traffic light coalition’s planned reduction in subsidies. On Thursday, the federal government responded to the protests that had been going on for days. The coalition wants to forgo the abolition of the vehicle tax exemption for agriculture. The abolition of tax relief for agricultural diesel should be extended and implemented in several steps. The German Farmers’ Association considers the measures to be inadequate.