Heated atmosphere, blockades with piles of dung: Due to massive protests from farmers, among others, the Greens had to cancel their Political Ash Wednesday event in Biberach.
The Greens have canceled their Political Ash Wednesday event in Biberach, Baden-Württemberg. The chairman of the Biberach district association, Michael Gross, cited aggressive moods at demonstrations in the area as the reason.
In the run-up to the event there were massive protests and blockades by farmers, among others. According to its own information, the state farmers’ association in Baden-Württemberg did not call for the protests or support them in advance.
Dozens of tractors on access roads
Farmers in Biberach had been protesting and blocking roads since the morning. Dozens of tractors were parked on the access roads to the town hall. A large pile of dung was dumped in front of the hall. Loud horns and music could be heard.
The protests also included an incident in which police used pepper spray on demonstrators to clear the path for two vehicles. The two vehicles then drove away from the town hall. A window on a vehicle was smashed.
Protesters had previously blocked the street with paving stones and sandbags. The board of the district farmers’ association, Karl Endriß, said that it was impossible to get to the town hall because there were demonstrators everywhere around it.
According to Endriß, various groups had called for the protests. The demonstrators are mainly farmers, but haulage companies are also involved.
The stage in Biberach remains empty: The Greens had to cancel their event because the protest in front of the hall was too big.
Greens have been meeting in Biberach for years
The Greens have been meeting in Biberach for years, where a lot of federal celebrities were expected again this year. In addition to Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir, who is considered a promising candidate to succeed Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann, Federal Chairwoman Ricarda Lang and veteran Jürgen Trittin should take the lectern. Kretschmann should also be there.
Özdemir spoke to participants in the farmers’ demonstration “and sought dialogue,” said a spokeswoman for the Baden-Württemberg Greens. “We have already made offers for discussions in the run-up to the event and will continue the exchange in a small group.”
“Constructive exchange” should be continued
In the future, the party wants to continue to conduct a dialogue “with all those who are interested in a constructive exchange.” Özdemir has been the target of sharp criticism from farmers’ associations for weeks. This was sparked by the federal government’s decisions to gradually abolish the tax advantages for agricultural diesel for farmers.
At the beginning of January, protests in North Frisia escalated when Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck was prevented from leaving a ferry by an angry crowd – and had to return to the Hallig Hooge.
Simone Steffan, SWR, tagesschau, February 14, 2024 12:49 p.m