There have been frequent tractor blockades recently – for example at a Green Party meeting in Biberach. The police union believes this has to stop and wants to ban agricultural machinery from demonstrations. Several politicians criticize the disruptive actions.
Farmers continue to draw attention to their problems with massive protests. The Greens in particular have recently been the target of tractor blockades. Is this type of protest permitted? The police union (GdP) is calling for a ban on tractors during demonstrations. GdP chairman Jochen Kopelke told the Rheinische Post. “The assembly authorities and the police must react immediately and ban tractors at assemblies.”
“We pointed out the dangers of tractors and tractors and appealed to common sense when protesting,” said Kopelke. However, the fact that French conditions are now spilling over into Germany cannot be tolerated.
Göring-Eckardt: Borders are being crossed
In Biberach yesterday, numerous demonstrators – including farmers – blocked access to the town hall. The Greens wanted to hold their Political Ash Wednesday event there. The access routes in and around Biberach were blocked, said Ulm police spokesman Sven Francken. There were “aggressive protests, including aggressive behavior against police officers” in the morning and in the morning. “Objects were thrown at police officers and police vehicles,” the spokesman said. A police vehicle was damaged.
The Greens then canceled their rally. They justified the cancellation with security concerns because some of the demonstrators had behaved aggressively. In the evening, Green Party leader Ricarda Lang was insulted and persecuted at another event. Lang had previously criticized it as not normal for political events to have to be canceled due to a lack of security. “This is a situation that we must never get used to in a democracy,” she said. Anyone who prevents democratic exchange as such is damaging democracy.
The Green Bundestag Vice-President Katrin Göring-Eckardt made a similar statement: “Democratic discourse is what defines us – not preventing conversations, not insulting people and not crossing borders,” she said Deutschlandfunk.
The Greens made the demonstrators in Biberach an offer to talk, and Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir took part in the debate. “If you try to prevent the conversation, then it is an absolute disgrace for democracy – at least for those who are trying to assert their interests here,” said Göring-Eckardt. “It doesn’t help the interests of farmers, it doesn’t help agriculture, it simply doesn’t help anyone at all.”
Özdemir later defended farmers. “Those who have now gone overboard are not German agriculture. They were individuals who behaved like that,” said the Green politician.
Merz criticizes protest, but also the Greens
Politicians from other parties also condemned the incidents in Biberach, Baden-Württemberg. “The fact that farmers are blocking events is not a good sign in itself,” said CDU leader Friedrich Merz. “The events of political parties must be able to take place,” added Merz. However, given their policy towards farmers in particular, the Greens should not be surprised if they were harshly criticized.
Sharp criticism of the farmers came from CDU State Interior Minister Thomas Strobl: “The aggressive behavior of protesters in Biberach is completely unacceptable,” he explained.